The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) is organising its fourth annual sales and media mission in India. The aim of the event is to meet India tourism representatives, promote business, meetings and leisure travel to the United States. There will be a B2B conference event and a networking event held in Delhi and Mumbai as part of the September Trade Mission. The B2B event in Mumbai will be held at Mayfair Banquets, which will be followed by networking dinner at the ITC Grand Maratha Hotel on September 7. In Delhi, both the events will take place at the Imperial Hotel on September 8-9 respectively.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, India is among the fastest growing emerging travel markets worldwide. Arrivals from India to the United States are projected to grow 72 per cent between 2010 and 2014 (from 615,000 to 1,058,000).

Bruce Bommarito, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Travel Association stated, "International travel is critically important to the U.S. economy and to President Obama's National Export Initiative. By nearly all measures, India is emerging as a leading source of business and leisure visitors to the United States. We look forward to building our relationships and growing business opportunities with the Indian travel community."

Twenty delegates from the U.S. are scheduled to visit Mumbai and New Delhi to promote US and conduct meetings with tour operators, airline representatives, travel agents, media and other bodies. Sartha Marketing Consultants are representatives of the U.S. Travel Association in India.

Sheema Vohra, President, Sartha Marketing Consultants, said, "I have personally been associated with US Travel association since 2001. Sartha has been working with them since 2007. We are their partners in India, and we are involved in planning and executing their India missions. We have been organising trade meets regularly in New Delhi and Mumbai as these two cities have concentration of almost 75 per cent of the travel marketers. This year, delegates belonging to industries like hotels, travel, tourism, tour operators among others are scheduled to come down from the U.S to India. For the B2B event we are expecting around 100 visitors."

Bryan Lewis, U.S. Travel Chief of Staff and General Counsel will lead the delegates. The representatives visiting India are representing California Academy of Sciences; California Travel and Tourism Commission; City PASS; Disney Destinations; Empire State Building Observatory; Harbor Experience Companies: New York Water Taxi; Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Macy's; Marriott and Renaissance Hotels; NYC & Company; Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau; Red and White Fleet; San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau; Texas Tourism; Tour America, Inc.; Tours Limited; and Universal Orlando Resort.

U.S. Travel is also aiming to boost participation by Indian tour operators, meeting planning professionals and media at its International Pow Wow marketplace - the single largest generator of travel to the United States. The 2011 International Pow Wow will be held in San Francisco from May 21 to 25.