Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Apr 12: Absence of mechanism to process E-visas of people arriving at the local airport by flights from abroad has compelled a foreigner to go back. A woman tourist from Belgium, who was in possession of E-visa, waited at the airport for the entire day on Monday April 11 before going back helplessly at 11 pm.
Reportedly, the woman had come from Belgium to get treatment at the Ayurveda hospital at Udupi. She was in possession of E-tourist visa, which is issued online against applications. Under this visa, a visitor is allowed to stay here for 30 days. But sadly, the international airport here does not have E-visa processing facility. It is gathered that this facility is currently available in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, New Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram airports.
The woman, who remained at the airport after her arrival by a Jet Airways flight from Dubai from 7.30 am to 11 pm, finally returned to Dubai by the same flight.
It is said that in a similar incident which had taken place here about six months back, a city-based woman living in USA had come here with E-tourist visa to meet an ailing relative. She too was contemplating to go back after being informed of the absence of E-visa processing facility, when she could get permission to stay here for three days with the interference of people in influential positions, which was made possible by her relatives living here.
With an eye on lucrative health tourism potential and to develop the exploit hitherto neglected tourism sector, India had recently announced E-tourist visas to citizens from 150 countries on arrival. But the incidents like the above in which such visas are issued online but the visitors are sent back after reaching their destinations paint a poor picture of the country, one is compelled to feel.
Some passengers reacting to the incident said that it is the duty of the airline to inform the passengers about the visa facilities at the destination airport.