from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)
Panaji, May 30: Goa's tourism industry has expressed its reservations over the Indian high commission UK's decision to outsource visa process.
"The high commsission should not discontinue the existing system till the outsourcing process is fine tuned so as to avoid inconvenience to the visitors," Ralf D'Souza, president, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTGA), stated.
The Indian high commisison in UK has decided to outsource the visa application process from Thursday May 29 onwards. This, according to the commission, will bring relief to nearly half a million Britons visiting India annually.
Goa, which receives four lac foreign tourists annually, has Britons topping the chart who visit here mostly during summer.
"Last year there were certain difficulties after visa process was outsourced. We do not want the difficulties to repeat," D'Souza, who heads Goa's apex tourism body, said.
Goan tourism industry had expressed worries after it reported 20 per cent reduction in the Briton guests arrival during November month, which is a peak season for the year.
The state had near to lacklustre new year season with less foreign tourist arrivals.
"The people were going to wrong places to get their visas. The high commission had stopped accepting visa applications by posts, which they resumed later," the TTAG president said.
The tourism body does not oppose outsourcing of the visa process but feels that the existing system should continue till the new process gets in place. "The agents should be properly trained and people should be made aware about where to go to get the visas," D'Souza said.
He stated that Goa expects good season ahead and any kind of hinderances can affect the tourist inflow.
The indian commission in UK has launched the visa application centre in victoria, in the heart of London on Tuesday night.
New centres will have facilities for submitting applications online and payment by credit card, said sources.
Of Goa's net foreign tourist arrivals, 43 per cent is from UK followed by Russians which are mere nine per cent.
Goa's sandy beaches are most preferred holiday spot for the Uk-ites who spend on an average three months on the tourist visa here.