The Asian-American Hotel Owners Association, which had invited Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [Images] to its Florida [Images] convention, has expressed its disappointment over the United States' denial of visa to him.

The AAHOA in a statement said it was disappointed that its members would not have the opportunity to hear about the "significant infrastructure improvements in Gujarat, India, or about ways in which they could help promote tourism to that region."

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But, the organisation said, it understood the position of the US government.

"AAHOA invited Chief Minister Narendra Modi purely to discuss business opportunities in Gujarat," it added.

Modi had planned to travel to New York and on to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with an entourage of business leaders from international companies that are currently conducting business and investing in Gujarat.

"Obviously, we are disappointed that our scheduled chief guest speaker will not be allowed to attend," AAHOA chairman Nash Patel said.

He added that nearly 98 per cent of AAHOA members and/or their families trace their ancestral roots to Gujarat and they were looking forward to hearing news about their homeland.

Founded in 1989 and representing over 8,700 members, AAHOA's annual convention and trade show, which attracts nearly 3,000 attendees each year, will be held on March 24-26 in Fort Lauderdale.