India is a very strong market and important to us: Brand USA CEO

NEW DELHI: The US is eyeing up to 10% growth in the number of visitors from India and is confident about its travel promotional initiatives moving in the right direction.
“With 1.29 million visitors in 2017, India was the 11th highest ranked country by arrival numbers and ranked sixth in terms of visitor spends to the US. This sustained rise in tourist arrivals from India has been made possible through a range of focused in-market trade and consumer initiatives by Brand USA (Destination Marketing Organisation for the United states),” Christopher L Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA, said.
Making the India visit this year as the biggest in strength to date with 64 delegates from 42 US tourism organisations, Brand USA concluded its seventh annual India Travel Mission, which took place from September 23-28, 2018, spanning three cities — Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi.
Speaking about the USP of his team, Thompson said, “We are a nation of storytellers. We bring out stories of unique experiences. We do not focus on just geography, communities or individual destinations. It is all about experiences in all of the United States.” “India is a very strong market and it is very important to us,” he said.