The incident took place shortly after the New Delhi-Amritsar Shan-e-Punjab Express left the Ludhiana junction station here and reached the Domoria bridge

NEW DELHI: India’s peak outbound travel month of June saw a decline in the number of Indian visitors to the US in 2025 over the previous year for the first time this millennium, barring the Covid period.With 2.1 lakh Indians headed to America in June, the number was 8% lower than 2.3 lakh in same month last year, according to data from the US commerce deptartmen’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). The provisional figure for this July shows a 5.5% fall over the same month last year.

Overall, the US has been seeing a decline in international visitors – and not just from India – in recent months. NTTO says the total non-US resident international visitor volume to the US decreased 6.2% in June 2025 over June 2024, 7% in May, 8% in March, and 1.9% in Feb. This Jan saw a 4.7% increase over same period last year, and April was up 1.3%.India is the fourth-largest source market for international visitors for the US. Since the two biggest source markets – Mexico and Canada – share a land border, India is the second-biggest overseas source market, with the UK being the largest. “Combined, these top five source markets (Brazil being the fifth) accounted for 59.4% of total international arrivals” this June, says NTTO.While travel industry biggies here say it is too early to pin the blame for the fall in Indian visitor numbers on the stricter visa regime adopted by Donald Trump in his second presidency, the impact could be more pronounced going ahead if the same continues. The reason: the US mostly issues 10-year-validity multiple entry visitor and business visas (B1/B2) so people who already have them can keep travelling. But if new visas get impacted for reasons like long appointment times or stricter issuance norms, then with a time lag impact will be visible.“We are seeing a visible impact on the student segment this year due to delay in visa issuance even after people securing college admissions. Historically, the biggest categories of visitors headed from India to the US have been visiting friends and relatives, business and students. The US was never a top leisure destination for Indians. That space has been led by Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe. North America came after that. Right now, apart from students, we are not seeing a dramatic impact on the other segments. But if new visa issuances are affected, they will also be hit with a certain time lag,” said a travel agent.With Indian diaspora of over 50 lakh, the US sees great demand for travel from the US.

Ahmedabad: After a summer travel season dampened by the Pahalgam terror attack and heightened Indo-Pak border tensions, Gujaratis are back in the holiday mood. With Diwali falling on Monday, Oct 20, this year’s calendar offers a rare bonus — an uninterrupted eight-day holiday window from Oct 19 to 26. Travel companies say this has sparked a surge in bookings, with families locking in both short domestic getaways and longer international itineraries.“The timing couldn’t be better,” said Manish Sharma, who runs a travel company in Ahmedabad. “The festive long break has given people the confidence to plan extended trips. Many who could not travel during the summer are now utilising the credit notes or refunds from their cancelled bookings to make fresh plans. This has boosted demand for destinations such as Kerala, Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Lakshadweep cruises, all of which are doing exceptionally well this season.“Bookings to Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Kullu-Manali are quite limited this season, say travel operators. “The terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this year followed by the recent spell of floods made travellers apprehensive, so these destinations are seeing isolated inquiries compared to previous years,” said a travel company operator.International travel is equally upbeat, with Indonesia, Dubai, Phuket, Krabi, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam topping the charts as perennial favourites. Travellers holding Schengen visas are also heading to Europe, making the most of the festive lull in business and schools.“Inquiries for Diwali travel have already begun, and what’s interesting this year is the mix,” said Ankit Bajaj, a travel industry expert. “It’s not just about long holidays; a good number of inquiries are for short domestic or international getaways, such as a 3N/4D trip to Goa. Southeast Asia remains a favourite among Gujaratis for its convenience and family-friendly appeal, while Europe is drawing those looking for longer, curated itineraries. A large chunk of demand comes from doctors, traders, and builders who prefer to travel during this festive window. Interestingly, we’re seeing very few inquiries for destinations like Azerbaijan or Turkey, which were once in demand.”The sustained rush is pushing airlines and hotels closer to peak-season pricing, with travel companies cautioning against last-minute plans. Gulf and Southeast Asian routes are running at near-full capacity, while domestic hotspots are already reporting limited availability for specific dates.