U.S. Hotels Cater to Indian Tourists with Tea, Samosas, and Indian TV Channels

American hotels are adopting innovative strategies to attract Indian tourists by offering tea, samosas, and Indian TV channels in their lounges and guest rooms. According to data from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), 1.9 million Indians visited the United States in 2024, marking a 48% increase compared to 2019. This growth is attributed to a rise in visiting and business visas.

Business visas, issued for corporate visits, increased by 50%, while visiting visas saw a 43.5% rise, leading to a significant surge in Indian travelers to the U.S. Recognizing this trend, American hotels have begun customizing their services to cater to Indian tourists. Lara Lee Blake, CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, stated that hotels have started offering chai and samosas in their lobbies and broadcasting popular Indian TV channels in guest rooms.

In contrast, the NTTO data revealed a decline of 50% to 25% in tourists from countries like China, Japan, and South Korea. Lara Lee Blake highlighted that while visitors from these countries decreased, Indian tourists filled the gap, contributing to the increase in hospitality extended toward Indians in U.S. hotels.

Additionally, the number of U.S. bookings made by Indian travelers in 2024 surpassed 50% compared to the previous year. Viator, a travel brand under TripAdvisor, noted that this is three times higher than pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.