Brand USA’s New Initiatives Aim to Boost Indian Tourism to the U.S. Amid Growing Demand and Key Upcoming Events

In a rapidly globalising world, tourism plays a pivotal role in promoting cultural exchange and fostering economic growth. Fred Dixon, who took charge as the President & CEO of Brand USA six months ago, is at the helm of promoting the Unites States of America (US) as a top travel destination. In this interview with Abhishek Singh, Deputy Editor at LiveMint, Dixon discusses the significant potential for growth in Indian tourism to the US, strategies to attract value-conscious travellers, and the impact of major global events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. 

Dixon also shares his thoughts on technological advancements in the travel industry and reflects on his experiences with India’s rich cultural landscape. With a growing middle class and a strong appetite for international travel, India emerges as a crucial market for US tourism. Dixon outlines how Brand USA plans to capitalise on this potential.

You took charge of Brand USA just 6 months ago, your mandate of course is to promote tourism to the US. What are some of the key reasons which make India one of those key destinations where you’d like to promote tourism to the US?

There are so many factors that make India an attractive market. I think you start with the fact that India has now the world’s largest population, with an incredibly fast-growing middle class. So, the propensity to travel is high.

All the data that we’ve seen, of course, points to the fact that Indians are travelling out more regionally than ever before, which is always the first step. All of our data sources show that the USA is the number one aspirational destination. And certainly after the Middle East even probably overall, in terms of destinations. And there are a lot of reasons for that as well, I alluded to pop culture and so on. 

So the steady growth in the market points to nothing but opportunities. In terms of stats, in 2024 2.2 million Indians travelled to the US, an all time high. That was 24% growth over 2023. The real dramatic number is the fact that it’s 50% higher than in 2019. That is the highest of any country in the world. So dramatic growth. So we’re incredibly excited to be here. And we have an increasing interest in ensuring that our share grows in this market.

I am sure you must have a pitch ready to convince the value-conscious Indian travellers to consider US as a travel destination. Please share it with us.

I mean, you start with the fact that, the United States obviously is immense, with a variety of offerings. The diversity of destinations – that’s the place where you’d like to start, whether you love the outdoors, you love wellness and serenity, or you love the hustle bustle of the major cities, or you love the connection to pop culture and arts.

Culinary is a huge trend today. We’re seeing a lot of conversations here this week about the role of culinary and tourism, particularly in the United States. The value of the rupee against the dollar, in terms of visiting th US is, I think, on par with any destination.

You know, my experience, coming from New York – one of the major markets for the Indian traveller, is that we’re seeing Indians travelling beyond the gateways. I mean, the traditional top five or top six, intended destinations for Indians have have been California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Washington DC, and New Jersey. But now we’re seeing so many interesting destinations much further afield – New England and Boston, the American South, and the Midwest.

Route 66 is having a big anniversary next year. It begins in Chicago. You know, the home of sort of jazz and blues in America. And then, you travel to the Mountains, the West. Certainly our national parks are a tremendous draw.

When I go home, to Tennessee, where I grew up, every time I go into the national park, which is the Great Smoky Mountains there, you see nothing but Indians hiking, Indian families exploring. Many of them are American, coming from Atlanta, Georgia, and other areas, but international travellers as well, coming to take part and enjoy our landscapes.

And so those are all across the country, from the Grand Canyon to the newest one in West Virginia, New River Gorge, which is spectacular, especially if you like whitewater rafting.

But, back to my original statement. There’s no other destination in the world that offers the value that the United States offers in terms of experiences, in terms of the variety that is available from high to low.

And, what specific initiatives in terms of promoting tourism are going to be a part of this effort that you’re making.

So for us, because it is such a growing market, discovery is a huge part of what we focus on. And that is making sure that the Indian travelers that are looking to go outbound, know about all the offerings of the US, so whether it’s weather, like I said before, whether it’s the the biggest well known destinations, places like the Grand Canyon, Alaska, California, New York, whether they’re looking for those bespoke, small destinations.

So discovery is really key, messaging and consumer efforts, whether it’s through earned media or whether it’s through the work we’re doing, social media and influencers and content creators. We are also working with the travel trade, making sure that the tour operators would know, all the opportunities are out there that they have those relationships and connectivity, and that they’re able to offer, you know, the simplest first-time experience, or they’re looking for a complex, multi-day, perhaps even a multi-week itinerary, for travellers who are looking to see the very best of the US.

So, all of those pieces come together in our strategy. I’ve been here, as you know, on the job six months. And, and so this is a real exploration effort for me and for the team – much of our leadership team is new.

And in your pitch, perhaps, one of the other things that you were talking about earlier, we can also talk about that.

Of course, you know, there are some key events. In the next couple of years, we’re talking about the Olympics, of course. And, the president also, in his speech last night, talked about some of these events.

We’re talking about a decade of major events starting this year 2025 with the Ryder Cup. But certainly next year, 2026 is going to be one of the peaks with the FIFA World Cup. We talked about route 66 and its 100th anniversary. There’s just three of the major events are going to be happening next year, and it’s all across the country, which is incredible.

One of the thematics we’re going to be focusing on for next year is the Great American Road Trip, which ties nicely with route 66, of course. There’s no place in the world where you can really hit the open road like you can in the US. And so that’s going to be an exciting element of our conversations going into next year.

From there, we springboard into the Olympics in 2028 obviously. And then, you know, we’re going to have the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. So there there is so much for the world to see. I encourage people to apply for those visas early, and be ready to visit the US when the time comes.

So as far as visas are concerned, I mean, you know, we’re primarily talking about B1, B2 visas, As the visa policy for tourism is concerned, do you anticipate any changes on that front?

We don’t speak for the administration. But we haven’t seen anything, that indicates there’s going to be a change in visa policy for India at this point. So we start with that.

You know, and historically, growth in travel from India has been consistent across including during his first term. Over the last eight years, barring of course the pandemic which disrupted life for all of us, travel from India has just climbed more than our expectations.

That will continue. We had a record level of visa issuance. In 2023 and 2024, more than a million pieces were issued both years. One of the great things is there are ten year visas. So today in India, 5 million Indians hold ten-year visas for the United States. And so, we’ve had is a tremendous base to work from.

And, a consulate was recently opened in Bengaluru as well.

Yes. Thank you for pointing that out. This is an expansion of facilities, which is terrific. In fact, here in Hyderabad, we have the largest US visa processing facility in the world. We’re going there tomorrow to visit it, and in Bangalore, I know they’re going to be announcing visa processing procedures and timelines. Tremendous infrastructure across India in terms of visa applications and processing. 

The renewal process, I should also note, is quite easy in India so that is a real advantage as well.

Specifically about the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup attracts massive, massive crowds. What kind of numbers are you anticipating?

I mean, when you when you look at it, it is multiple Super Bowls, right? In terms of the volume, there will be tremendous demand from the United States.

So once we know the draw, once the FIFA announces the schedule for the games in terms of what teams are playing, we’ll know a little bit more about what the potential will be. But there is a finite number of tickets.

Demand will be high from the US. We know the Indian tourism trade here is really engaged in conversations and trying to see what access they will have to tickets. There’s also a real expectation that travellers will come whether they have tickets, or not.

The atmosphere, the excitement, the watch parties. Just to be near the activity, is enough for a lot of soccer and football fans around the world. And so, the energy is going to be high.

A lot of our readers asked us questions on Visas stemming from the Presidential debate in October and November. On social media and elsewhere, the debate took a racial tone. Will you assuage apprehensions, or concerns, stemming from that debate?

I mean, you start with the fact that the US is an incredibly diverse country. And we have, you know, probably among the most diverse populations in the world. And what we continue to see is that tourism to the US has grown year over year. Visa applications have continued to climb.

So, you know, I would I would encourage anyone who’s looking to go to the United States to continue with their plans. We welcome them, you know, with open arms in terms of applying for the process, and coming to the United States, and being part of that great melting pot that is the US.

This is not your first trip to India. You’ve been to India on multiple occasions before this visit. What is your favourite travel destination in India?

Well, you know, you are not supposed to have favourites, right? But, I have to say, I mean, Mumbai, I enjoy the city. I mean, living in New York, you know, I also appreciate the energy. And, so it’s been a place I visited many times over the years.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Delhi as well. But I’m a fan of history. One of my favourite weekend trips was to Varanasi. And Kerala is on my list.

I’m looking forward to exploring more of the outdoor wellness sort of aspect of some of your great destinations. And then one must go to Kashmir, I have been told.

What role do you see for technologies like Artificial Intelligence playing in the travel and tourism sector?

Well, I think, this is such a fascinating topic, and I think this is going to continue to be at the forefront of a lot of dialogue.

First of all, I think there’s a huge role the tech is already playing in seamless travel. So whether it’s digital IDs, you know, the experience at the airports, we’re certainly seeing adoption in the US – we no longer need to travel with a driver’s license or perhaps even a passport.

I know I have Global Entry when I return into the US. I don’t even need to pull out my passport. They just recognise my face. The officer matches that I am who I say I am. And, And then, you know, he says, welcome back home. Some of the fastest lines in the airport are the digital ID lines where you are using your face to access security and to board the aircraft.

So you see technology playing a tremendous role in removing friction from the travel process. The world is more connected than ever before. If you look at travel holistically over the past 20-40 years, the appetite for experiences is higher than its ever been. 

There is going to be increasing need for face-to-face, an increasing need for human interaction and dialogue as we go forward. And travel, I think, provides that almost better than any other sector. One of the things that really struck me this week, is hearing one of our speakers in the program talk about the role of content creators in travel. And the fact that people now are looking at content creators to actually plan their travels for them.

This is my last question. If you were to compare, you know, ease of entry and exit out of a US airport versus the Digi Yatra enabled Indian airport, which one is easier?

Oh, that’s an unfair question! But, it depends on timing.

My colleagues arrived here in Hyderabad 30 minutes ahead of me, and they had no line of immigration. I landed at a time when 3 or 4 large wide-body aircraft were unloading at the same time, and my wait was almost two hours. So that can happen.

It can happen at JFK. So I think maybe that is a challenge for our colleagues in tech and aviation or innovation, rather to figure out how we time these aircraft arrivals better.

But I think with weather delays, it’s going to be virtually impossible. I think technology is going to continue to improve that process. Digital IDs and I think facial recognition is going to go a long way towards improving those processes. And, we just have to keep encouraging governments to invest in these technologies to make those processes seamless, because it is a bump in the road on travel.