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India to extend visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations

  •   Thu, Feb 06 2014 12:15:54 PM

New Delhi, Feb 6 (AFP): Tourists travelling to India from 180 countries will no longer have to queue at their local consulates to obtain visas after New Delhi announced a "historic" overhaul of its strict visa regime.

Most foreigners currently have to wait several weeks before learning whether they will be allowed to enter India after submitting their applications at visa processing centres, a major deterrent for potential visitors.

Under the new scheme, many tourists will be allowed to apply online and then receive the green light within five days, before picking up their visa at the airport on arrival into India.

"We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations," Planning Minister Rajiv Shukla told reporters in the capital late Wednesday.

"The facility will provide a major boost to the country's tourism sector. This is historic," Shukla said.

Visitors from countries which account for the bulk of India's tourists -- such as the United States, Britain and France -- that have had to go through the time-consuming process of applying in person will be among those to benefit from the changes to regulations.

Citizens from eight countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Iraq have not been included in the changes for security reasons.

A meeting of top foreign ministry, tourism and other government officials on Wednesday cleared the way for the changes, which were also recently approved by the India's intelligence agencies.

The changes were first mooted last October, although only for 40 countries.

The government hopes to have the necessary infrastructure in place, including at the country's airports, by October in time for the start of the peak tourist season, local media reported Thursday.

India currently issues visas on arrival to visitors from 11 foreign nations, including Japan, Finland and Indonesia.

Despite its cultural attractions, beaches and mountains, India attracts relatively few foreign holidaymakers -- 6.58 million in 2012, which was about a quarter of Thailand or Malaysia.

India tightened entry restrictions in 2009 in the wake of revelations that David Headley, a foreign militant who helped plot the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, regularly stayed in India on long-term tourist visas.
  

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Comment on this article

  • Santan Mascarenhas, Kinnigoli/Mumbai

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    Jacob Mendonsa, Bangalore

    I fully agree with your views. On and above that, so many people from Junk countries will come and settle illegally by bribing our officials. Only crime, prostitution and drug trade will flourish.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sudhakar, Kallianpur

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    One of our neighboring country will be benefitted the most from this scheme.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • JACOB mendonsa, bangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    India will continue to receive only a few tourists even if it grants visas for 180 country's nationals on arrival.How can we attract tourist as most of our tourist spots r ugly & not maintained well.All our city roads,highways,bridges , flyovers & Ghat roads r full of potholes & craters. Garbage is not at all cleared in time all over India.No proper toilet facilities in any of the tourist destinations. India failed miserably to attract tourist & to earn foreign exchange.Environmental & tourist officials r sleeping.They do not know as to how to attract tourists.Instead, all most all our politicians r visiting foreign countries for pleasure trips on tax payers money.

    DisAgree Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bulsam, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    China is speeding towards the goal of becoming the world's top travel destination, and the country's tourism industry is riding the fast train to expansion.
    China's proliferation of high-speed railways has become a driving engine of its tourism sector. The tracks, which currently stretch 8,358 kilometers, facilitate trains which operate at some of the fastest speeds in the world, stretch the farthest to the most remote corners and is expanding at a pace that is, in itself, record-breaking .
    This rapid expansion intersects with the country's full-speed-ahead tourism development - the world's fastest, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The UNWTO expects China to become the most visited country in the world by 2015, by which time its high-speed lines will extend 16,000 km, according to ‘Ministry of Railways’ spokesman Wang Yongping.
    "High-speed rail lines have generated explosive tourism development in cities and scenic spots along their routes, and especially in cities that weren't major draws before, such as Tianjin and Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan," Wang tells China Daily.
    "The tourism boom in these cities has made many residents feel as if they've become rich overnight."
    Wuhan, for instance, received 47.869 million visitors, a 35.6 percent year-on-year increase, in the first seven months after the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed line opened in December 2009. And this crush of tourists spent 37.826 trillion yuan, 43.8 percent more than during the same period of 2008, Wang says.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Anand, karkala

    Thu, Feb 06 2014


    India's main aim is to become No. 1 in Corruption...

    DisAgree [3] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bulsam, Mangalore

    Thu, Feb 06 2014

    This is the right step to boost the tourist industry in India. The tourism industry of India is economically important and grows rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated INR6.4 trillion or 6.6% of the nation's GDP in 2012. It supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9% from 2013 to 2023.
    Here are a few statistics of world tourism:
    The major tourist destinations in the world in 2012:
    France (83 m),
    US (67 million),
    China (58 million),
    Spain (58 million),
    Italy (46 million),
    Turkey (36 million),
    Germany (30 million),
    UK (29 million),
    India (7 million) &
    Australia (6 million)

    The highest earnings in tourism are as follows:
    US ($110 billion),
    Spain ($62 billion),
    France ($56 billion),
    Italy ($46 billion),
    China ($41 billion),
    Germany ($ 40 billion),
    UK ($36 billion),
    Australia ($25 billion),
    Turkey ($22 billion) &
    India (1 billion)

    One of the largest traveler review websites recently published the ‘Travelers’ Choice 2011′ list of the best destinations in the world, as chosen by the travelling public. These are the destinations where real people have had a good experience whether staying in hotels, Bed & Breakfast or city base apartments.
    Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
    Paris, France
    Machu Picchu, Peru
    Sydney Australia
    Cape Town, South Africa

    DisAgree [6] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse


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