Los Angeles fully committed to India market
Los Angeles is home to 300 days of warm sunshine, 75 miles of idyllic shoreline with many museums and performing arts venues than any other U.S. city. Also, the place has an innovative culinary scene led by influential tastemakers. With Los Angeles fully open to travellers from India, Seema Kadam, Regional Director – India, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, and her team are solidifying plans for deeper engagement in India.
The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board has continued its presence throughout the pandemic. They are proud to be the only U.S. Destination Marketing Organisation with full-time staff overseas, including one team member based in Mumbai. India has long been a very important market for Los Angeles. In fact, before the pandemic, India represented one of the fastest-growing international markets, with 135,000 Indians visiting in 2019 alone, injecting $301 million in visitor spending into the local economy.
With US borders fully open, L.A. launched its global comeback campaign in 2021, complete with a new look and branding for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “We invited travellers from across the globe to start their #ComebackStory in L.A. and localised this campaign in India. Our campaign in India has two distinct legs, one targeted at the upcoming summer travel season for travellers with existing US visas who are seeking to travel immediately and just need a nudge. The second leg involves long-term efforts targeted at potential firsttime or repeat travellers looking for reasons to travel internationally, starting with this year’s Diwali and year-end travel period. We have relaunched intensive communication efforts in India to support both these sets of strategic recovery efforts,” shares Seema.
While the U.S. is open to fully vaccinated travellers from India, proof of vaccination status is required to board an airplane into the United States. International travellers aged two and older must show proof of a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than one day before travel. Both nucleic acid amplification tests, such as PCR and antigen tests, qualify. Aspiring travellers will be required to fill out the DS-160 visa electronic application form online. Subsequently, two appointments must be scheduled, one with the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and one for the visa interview at the Embassy or Consulate.
Speaking about the connectivity, Seema says, “India and Los Angeles are wellconnected, with multiple flights scheduled each day from almost all major international airports in India. In fact, given the high frequency of flights and ample seat capacity between India and the United States, we are already seeing forward bookings from the market, with L.A. being a city of choice.”
To position the destination as one of the most preferred destinations for Indian travellers, the tourism board will be working out a mix of aggressive consumer communication strategies, media familiarisation trips, and influencer marketing that inspires wanderlust. “We hope to introduce the Indian consumers to the ever-evolving, dynamic destination that is Los Angeles. Additionally, to better help Indian trade partners understand our destination, we continue to offer a refreshed version of the L.A. Insider training program, found at insider.discoverlosangeles.com. This B2B platform highlights Los Angeles with three chapters and educates the travel trade on selling and promoting Los Angeles. We also have a dedicated B2B Facebook page to keep the travel trade updated on what’s new in the destination, as Los Angeles is a creative destination that is constantly evolving,” informs Seema.
The Tourism Board will also continue working with partners like Brand USA and the travel trade in India to ensure that itineraries are structured and customised to suit Indian traveller’s tastes and demands post the pandemic.
Los Angeles has continued to push the envelope on creativity throughout the pandemic, bringing new experiences to travellers. A decade of unforgettable sporting events is underway with state-of-the-art venues, including the new SoFi Stadium, which hosted the Super Bowl last month. The arts and culture scene is also accelerating with new offerings, including The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which recently opened its doors, telling the stories of moviemaking through immersive and dynamic exhibits. There is also an abundance of new and iconic hotels found in the many neighbourhoods of L.A. There are more accommodations options than ever, with many new hotels opening their doors last year, including the iconic Fairmont Century Plaza and a crop of boutique properties in Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood.
As they are keen to promote their destination to the Indian travellers, Seema particularly mentions, “We believe that the Indian traveller is evolving to seek more nuanced experiential holidays. Wellness-focused trips, road trips, culinary explorations, sport-inspired travel and smaller destination weddings are here to stay. This bodes well for Los Angeles, as our remarkable city is a world-class destination for all of these trends.”