"Air India's nonstop flights to San Francisco, introduced in 2015, have significantly contributed to the resurgence of Indian visitors, bringing the city's tourism back to pre-Covid levels. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) now operates 17 weekly nonstop flights from India, second only to New York's 21. If United Airlines had not suspended its 14 weekly flights to SFO, the airport would have been the top destination in the United States for nonstop flights from India."
"Indian travelers to San Francisco are bouncing back to pre-Covid levels, thanks to Air India's nonstop flights introduced in 2015. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) now has 17 weekly Air India nonstops from various Indian cities, making it the second busiest after New York's 21. United Airlines, with its hub at SFO, used to have 14 weekly nonstops from India. SFO's executives are currently in India to boost flight connections and visitor numbers. They see significant potential for growth, considering the strong demand and the sizeable Indian community in the region. SFO aims to increase the Delhi-SFO route to double daily flights and expand to other Indian cities. Despite the long distance, India is one of SFO's top source markets. The majority of India-North America travel currently involves one-stop connections through hubs in the Gulf, Europe, and Southeast Asia."
In 2019, San Francisco hosted 210,000 Indian visitors, which dropped to 160,000 in 2022 during Covid restrictions. This year, they expect a rebound to over 210,000 visitors, making India the first foreign market to recover to pre-Covid levels. Indian tourists are known for their significant spending, contributing $497 million to the local economy in 2019. Air India's nonstop flights since 2015 have greatly boosted Indian tourism, and they hope for more flights from Air India and the resumption of United's nonstops once Russian airspace restrictions lift. The downtown area, including Union Square and Market Street, has faced challenges post-Covid, but there are signs of recovery, with new businesses like AI and food innovation emerging in the city.
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