Indian tourists in US spent about $ 2.86 billion in 2010

WASHINGTON: An Indian tourist visiting America in 2010 spent at an average more than Rs 2 lakh during their stay here, thus contributing an estimated whopping $ 2.86 billion to the US economy.

Well aware that the ultimate economic impact to the US economy would be multiple of that, US President Barack Obama, yesterday targeted India, Brazil and China to attract more foreign tourists, so that his country can retain the status of top global tourist destination.

"Let's realise that in the years ahead, more and more tourists are going to come from countries, with rapidly growing economies, huge populations and emerging middle classes; countries like China, India and Brazil," Obama said at Disney Land in Florida yesterday as he unveiled a slew of measures, including a relaxed visa program, to make it easier for people from these countries to come and visit US.

Obama's emphasis on these three countries is driven by the fact that tourists from India, China and Brazil contributed approximately $ 15 billion and thousands of jobs to the US economy in 2010.

In 2010, more than 6.51 lakh Indian tourists visited the US, an increase of 139 per cent since 2.72 lakh Indian visitors to the US in the year 2003, according to latest figures provided by the International Trade Administration of US Department of Commerce.

The number of travelers from India is projected to increase by 50 per cent by 2016 as compared to 2010, the White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, told reporters travelling with Obama to the Disney Land.

Visitors from China and Brazil are, however, projected to grow much more than India by 135 per cent and 274 per cent respectively, he said.

Average spending, in the US, by an Indian tourist in 2010 was $ 4,390 ($ 2.86 billion for 651,000 visitors)," Cory Churches, spokesman, International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce, told reporters.