India climbs to Virginia’s No.1 overseas market; solo travellers drive 42% of visits

"Virginia's unique selling quality is that we are the authentic American experience" - says Heidi Johannesen

Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and travel-related challenges, India continues to demonstrate strong demand for Virginia, emerging as the destination’s second-largest international source market and number one overseas market, according to Heidi Johannesen, Managing Director, Global Markets, Virginia Tourism Corporation.

The authentic American experience

In an exclusive interaction with T3, Johannesen highlighted Virginia’s positioning as a destination that offers visitors an authentic taste of America. “Virginia's unique selling quality is that we are the authentic American experience,” she said. “You will not find a state that offers you more history that's not only tied to the past but to the present.”

She pointed to the destination’s diverse tourism offerings, which allow travellers to experience multiple facets of the United States within a single trip.

“The diversity of the product really lends itself well to somebody looking to say that they have gone to a national park, experienced the mountains, but also want a coastal visit,” she explained. “They can go to the Atlantic Ocean, visit Shenandoah National Park and still be very close to a major city, the nation's capital, without necessarily staying in the city.”

Northern Virginia, she added, offers visitors an urban experience complemented by attractive neighbourhoods, while destinations such as Loudoun County provide access to what is often referred to as Washington D.C.’s wine country, located just 40 minutes from the capital.

“It’s all those different aspects that really give the Indian traveller that authentic American experience,” Johannesen said. Indian travellers to Virginia typically spend between 10 and 14 days in the destination, allowing them to explore a variety of experiences across the state.

India leads Virginia's tourism growth story

Johannesen acknowledged, “We recognise that the past year and a half has been challenging. There have been many headwinds and it hasn't always been easy. But what we have seen is that the interest in Virginia and the growth in Virginia from this market has remained strong and resilient,” she said. “We are very appreciative of that and that is why we continue to come back and show you how much this market means to us.” 

The significance of India for Virginia has grown considerably over the past few years. In 2019, India ranked as Virginia’s fifth-largest international source market. By 2024, it had moved up to third place and preliminary figures for 2025 indicate that India is now the state’s second-largest overseas market.

“That is only behind Canada and, geographically, that would make sense because Canada is so close to Virginia and is really considered a drive market,” Johannesen explained. “If you look at it from an overseas perspective, India is our largest market and that's incredible.”

While the wider United States has witnessed a slight decline in international arrivals, Virginia’s performance has remained relatively stable. According to Johannesen, the state welcomed nearly 69,000 Indian visitors in 2024, while preliminary figures for 2025 show arrivals of just over 65,000.

“We have seen a small decline, but that's normal across the entire U.S. However, in Virginia, numbers only dropped a couple of thousand passengers. Given the setbacks that we're all dealing with and the geopolitical situation, that's a good year at this point in time,” she noted.

Indian visitors contributed USD 124 million in visitor spending in 2024, while preliminary estimates place 2025 expenditure at USD 112 million.

Johannesen suggested that a slowdown in student travel may be influencing the figures. “The student group or student travel is down slightly, so we've seen a decrease there, which continues to be a challenge,” she said.

Ahmedabad gains momentum

When asked about major source markets within India, Johannesen shared, “It’s definitely the two major cities, Delhi and Mumbai. Ahmedabad is also picking up a lot from the India market.” She acknowledged that increasing awareness of Virginia among Indian travellers remains a priority for the tourism board.

“We are very well aware of the fact that there needs to be more education and awareness brought to the Indian market about the Virginia product,” she stated. “While we focus on Mumbai and Delhi on our missions with Sartha Global Marketing, they have resources throughout the country where they are educating tier-II cities on what Virginia has to offer.”

Solo travellers dominates visitor mix

The Indian visitor profile is also evolving. According to Johannesen, “The trend that we have been seeing out of India for Virginia is that the solo traveller is actually doing quite well. Solo travellers account for 42% of our visitation from India. The next big segment is friends and family groups that account for 38% of the business, while couples make up 34%.”

Johannesen believes the growing appetite among Indian travellers for unique and lesser-known experiences continues to work in Virginia’s favour. “They are really looking and craving for something new,” she said. “I think that's where Virginia comes into play. They want to be able to come back and tell their friends, family and colleagues, ‘Wow, I got to do this.’"