Indians travelling to US fall for 1st time in over 20 years, June numbers down 8 pc

New Delhi, Aug 31
For the first time since 2001, excluding the Covid-19 years, the number of Indians visiting the United States has fallen as 2.1 lakh Indians travelled there in June 2025, which is an 8 per cent drop compared to 2.3 lakh in the same month last year, according to the US Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).

The downward trend seems to be continuing in July as well, with provisional data showing a 5.5 per cent decline compared to July 2024.

This slowdown is part of a broader global trend. NTTO data shows that overall international arrivals to the US also fell, with a 6.2 per cent drop in June, 7 per cent in May, 8 per cent in March, and 1.9 per cent in February.

Only January and April saw increases of 4.7 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.

India continues to be the fourth largest source of international visitors to the US. Since Canada and Mexico share land borders with America, India ranks as the second largest overseas market after the UK, followed by Brazil in fifth place.

Together, these five countries contributed nearly 60 per cent of all international arrivals to the US in June.

Traditionally, Indian travellers to the US include students, business professionals, and those visiting friends and relatives.

Leisure travel to America has always been less popular compared to destinations like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

The current slowdown is being seen most clearly among students, though experts believe that business and family visits could also be affected if visa delays and constraints continue.

The Indian diaspora in the US is strong, with over 50 lakh people, which has generally ensured a steady flow of travel.

In fact, NTTO data shows that every June since 2001 had recorded higher numbers than the year before -- until now.

April this year had been a positive month for Indian travellers overall, with 29 lakh people flying abroad.

The UAE was the top destination, followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore, and the US.