Indian Travellers Set to Remain Washington, DC’s Top Overseas Spenders

• Indians are expected to remain Washington, DC’s highest-spending international visitors in 2026 and 2027.

• India generated US$342.7 million in visitor spending in 2025.

• Indian travellers spent US$1,857 per person, above the international average.

• Visa delays and lack of direct flights remain challenges.

• Destination DC is expanding outreach across Indian travel markets.

Indian visitors are expected to continue leading international spending in Washington, DC, through 2026 and 2027, even as global travel patterns are affected by visa delays, airline connectivity gaps and geopolitical uncertainty.

Elliott L Ferguson II, president and chief executive of Destination DC, said India remains one of the most important high-value visitor markets for the US capital. Destination DC, the official destination marketing organisation for Washington, DC, is working to keep the city visible and competitive among Indian travellers and the travel trade.

Although current projections suggest that Indian arrivals and spending may decline in 2026 compared with 2025, India is still expected to retain its position as the top international spending market for the city. Ferguson said Washington, DC, remains committed to staying connected with Indian visitors, particularly because of their strong spending patterns and post-pandemic travel recovery.

According to Tourism Economics, India was Washington, DC’s No. 1 international spending market for the second consecutive year in 2025. Indian travellers spent US$342.7 million in the city, showing little change from 2024. The United Kingdom followed with US$289.5 million, while Canada ranked third at US$266.2 million. China and Germany came next, contributing US$190 million and US$187.5 million, respectively.

Indian visitors also spent significantly more per person than the average international traveller. Destination DC estimates that each Indian visitor spent about US$1,857 in 2025, compared with the overall international visitor average of US$1,462. This higher per-capita spending is one reason India is viewed as a high-value market for the US capital.

Washington, DC, is currently the third-most visited US destination for Indian travellers, behind New York and San Francisco. In terms of overall international arrivals to Washington, Canada led in 2025 with 208,500 visitors. India followed with 184,500 visitors, ahead of the UK at 182,600, Germany at 125,000 and China at 106,500.

Ferguson acknowledged that travel to the United States has slowed, and Washington, DC, faces an additional challenge because there are no direct nonstop flights from India to the US capital or the East Coast. Despite this, he said India continues to be a resilient and important market.

He noted that Indian travel to Washington, DC, strengthened significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic, while some other major markets, including Canada and China, have not recovered as strongly for various reasons. Ferguson said there is still clear interest among Indians in visiting the US, and the key question is when travel demand will fully translate into bookings.

Destination DC is also engaging with authorities and airlines to make travel to the US capital easier for Indian visitors. Ferguson said visa appointment timelines had improved under the Biden administration, when reducing delays was treated as a priority. He added that Destination DC is now working to ensure the Trump administration understands the importance of Indian travellers, both for Washington, DC, and for the wider US tourism economy.

Tourism Economics data shows that Indian visitation to Washington, DC, in 2025 was 21.8 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic level recorded in 2019. This makes India one of the city’s strongest international growth markets since the pandemic.

To strengthen its presence in India, Destination DC has launched several trade and consumer-focused initiatives during the 2025–26 financial year. On the travel trade side, it conducted agent training programmes in tier-I and tier-II Indian cities in partnership with B2B travel distribution platform TBO. It also collaborated with Thomas Cook and SOTC on digital campaigns aimed at increasing awareness of Washington, DC, as a destination.

The organisation has also introduced the DC Special Agent Academy, an incentive-based training programme for travel agents across India. The initiative is designed to help agents better understand Washington, DC’s tourism offerings and promote the city more effectively to Indian travellers.

On the consumer side, Destination DC partnered with MakeMyTrip for a digital campaign and training sessions for the platform’s holiday experts. These efforts are aimed at positioning Washington, DC, not only as a political capital but also as a destination for culture, history, museums, events, dining and family travel.

Despite near-term challenges, Destination DC appears confident about India’s long-term potential. With high spending levels, strong post-pandemic growth and continued interest in US travel, Indian visitors are expected to remain central to Washington, DC’s international tourism strategy in the coming years.