New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS): India holds an important place for tourism growth in California, says Caroline Beteta of Visit California, who is on the country for the first ever CEO mission that promises to make invaluable relationships and build excitement around the Golden State's commitment to the Indian market.

"We are very excited for the opportunity that the Indian market presents for travel to California and see this mission as an important step in introducing California to Indian travellers," said Beteta, the Visit California president and CEO.

This visit will provide critical learnings on how we can best prepare our state to welcome Indian visitors as the market continues to grow," she added

The California mission to India began in Mumbai with meetings with key tourism and film industry officials, before coming to the capital, where it concluded with a press conference.

The delegation illustrates the excitement surrounding the growth of outbound travel in the market and reflects the diversity of California experiences- from world class cities, to coastline to wine country to luxurious destinations and accommodation.

California commands 27.5 percent of the market share from Indian outbound travel market to the US, accounting for 319,000 visitors who spent $706 million in 2016 in the Golden State.