Yahoo – AFP,
27 Nov 2014
India aims
to boost tourist numbers by easing the visa application process
for some
countries ©Indranil Mukherjee (AFP/File)
|
Tourists
travelling to India from 43 countries including the US will no longer have to queue
at their local consulates to obtain visas after New Delhi announced Thursday a
long-awaited easing of border controls.
Tourists
from countries including Australia, Brazil, Germany and Japan will now be able
to apply online and then receive the green light within four days, before
getting their visa at an airport on arrival.
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.
"This
scheme... is a dream come true for the entire tourism industry of India and is
bound to positively impact the economy," tourism minister Mahesh Sharma
said in a statement.
"The
government's objective is to boost tourism and this scheme's implementation
will send out a clear message that India is serious about making travel to the
country easy."
Plans for
the overhaul were announced by the previous left-leaning Congress government
which was thrown from office at elections in May.
The
minister said the scheme would eventually be expanded from the list of 43
countries that also includes Russia, Singapore and South Korea. Britain,
India's former colonial master, is not included on the new list.
Under the
old scheme, citizens of 12 countries were eligible for a visa on arrival.
Despite its
cultural attractions, beaches and mountains, India attracts relatively few
holidaymakers -- 6.58 million in 2012, a fraction of those who go to popular
Asian destinations like Malaysia and Thailand.
India came
65 out of 140 countries in a World Economic Forum ranking on travel and tourism
competitiveness conducted in 2013.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing government has pledged to boost tourism
numbers since his party stormed to office on a pledge to create jobs and revive
the economy.
Under the
scheme, tourists will be able to pick up their visas from nine Indian airports.
Tourists can apply twice a year for 30-day visas which cannot be extended.
Tourists must also have a return ticket.
"The
facility is available to foreigners whose sole objective of visiting India is
recreation, sightseeing, short duration medical treatment, casual business
visit... and not valid for any other purpose, activities," a tourism
ministry statement said.
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