Skift Take
— Peden Doma Bhutia
Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Destination DC, knows what’s needed to boost Indian arrivals to the U.S. capital.
Along with others in the travel industry, Ferguson calls out the U.S. visa process as the primary hurdle for Indian travelers. Despite some improvements, the wait for a visa interview still exceeds 300 days.
“Economically, the U.S. understands the importance of tourism, but if we do not make it easier for the international tourists to come into the country, we’re missing out on opportunities,” Ferguson told Skift during his recent trip to India.
And while the average stay of an Indian tourist coming in to Washington is 3.5 nights, Ferguson said they are targeting day trippers, who come to the city thinking there won’t be much to see and…