India is among the top three growing markets for San Francisco’s tourism industry, said Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO, San Francisco Travel Association, here on Thursday.

“India is one of the three most important growth markets for San Francisco Travel along with China and Brazil and is therefore of tremendous importance to us. In 2014, we witnessed 1.49 lakh Indian travellers visiting the destination. Overall, India ranks among our top 10 international markets in terms of arrivals as well as of spending per visitor,” D’Alessandro told presspersons. In 2010, the destination saw 1.08 lakh visitors from India.

Outside of the US and neighbouring Canada, the top three markets for the destination are the UK, China and Germany. Overall, 2014 was a record year for San Francisco, he said, as it received 18 million visitors, a 6.5 per cent increase from the previous year.

D’Alessandro estimates about 16 per cent growth in the number of Indian arrivals over the next three years on the back of a stronger economy and better air services.

“With the new air services focussed on India, it can even surpass 16 per cent growth. The increased service from Etihad, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines will help stimulate growth from the Indian market. Also, the Indian economy, both short-term and long-term, has been growing, with a much larger middle-class. Indians are higher spenders compared to visitors from other countries, therefore, it is a very desirable market for us,” he added.

The average Indian spends $2,580 per visit in San Francisco. Compared with the international average of four nights in the destination, an Indian traveller spends 5.4 nights.

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