Indian Chapter of Visit U.S. Committee (VUSACOM)

Seeking to tap India's massive outbound tourism potential, the United States has launched the Indian Chapter of Visit U.S. Committee (VUSACOM), providing for simplification of visas for tourists. This newly formed chapter is supported by and will function under the guidance of the U.S. Commerce Department, which comprises leading travel companies in India.

The U.S. initiatives include expediting and simplification of the visa application process and creation of a task force to promote travel to and within the United States. National Trade Association president Lisa Simon said the initiatives put the travel and tourism industry under the spotlight as a key contributor to the nation's economic vibrancy.

Despite the global economic slowdown over the last few years, statistics show that Indians have spent five times more at premium retail outlets in the United States. Indian tourists visiting America in 2010 spent on average $4,390, totalling $2.86 billion for 6,51,000 visitors.

According to a projection by the International Trade Administration (ITA), a body of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. anticipates a 50 per cent increase in the number of travellers from India by 2016. The U.S. commercial circuit is of the view that the much needed push for America's tourist industry will come from affluent Indians. On steps to increase tourist arrivals, Richard Rothman, Commercial Consul, U.S. Consulate, said: “We have laid out a strategy to help pull India up from her current position-12 to a single-digit one.”

Ashwini Kakkar, president of VUSACOM (India), who is steering Indo-U.S. tourism collaboration, said the initiatives under this programme included facilitating visa communication with consular services; encouragement of group travel by organising meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions/events, acting as a B2B platform for travel agents/tour operators and facilitating meetings with various U.S. travel suppliers.

source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3255959.ece