NEW DELHI
India Thursday unveiled its long-awaited visa on arrival scheme for citizens of 43 countries, including the UAE, in a bid to boost tourism footfall in the country and revive the economy.
The scheme, conceived during the previous Manmohan Singh government, was launched by federal Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Previously, a majority of foreigners had to wait several weeks before learning whether they would be allowed to enter India after submitting their applications at visa processing centres. Indian tourism operators had been demanding easing of entry permits for more than 20 years, citing the lengthy process to get an Indian visa as the biggest hindrance in growth of the industry.
The tourist visa on arrival (ToVA) enabled with electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is expected to trigger a boom in the industry, which hailed it as a historic step.
“Tourism has evolved as one of the sunrise sectors of the 21st century and the new government has resolved to make India a favourite destination of discerning travellers,” said Singh while launching the scheme. “India has always fascinated travellers ... No other country in the world has the kind of geographical diversity India has,” he said.
However, Singh also sounded a word of caution, saying India could not reap the benefits of global tourism unless it created better facilities for visitors and ensured their safety.
“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. “This scheme’s implementation will send out a clear message that India is serious about making travel to the country easy.”
India has already announced it will expand the scheme for other countries in a phased manner. Britain, India’s former colonial ruler, is not included in the new list.
Barring a few nations such as Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, all other countries with which India has bilateral relations will eventually be covered under the e-visa regime, a home ministry official said.
India had launched visa on arrival scheme in 2010 for some countries. Under the old scheme, citizens of 12 countries were eligible for a visa on arrival, but it did not work out well as the system was not integrated across the nation. According to Home Secretary Anil Goswami, the new system is fully digitised and user-friendly.
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.
As part of the new system, the government has set up 72 dedicated counters at nine international airports to speed up processing of visas. Foreign tourists with a visa-on-arrival are required to enter India only through these nine airports, but are free to depart from any airport.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, which is the nodal ministry to issue visas, has also expanded the activities that a visitor can undertake by availing ETA. Besides normal sightseeing, recreation, visiting family and friends, these travellers would also be able to do casual business meetings and short-term medical treatments.
“It is a historic occasion for the tourism sector as we were demanding this facility for long. The launching of e-visa system for so many countries would boost the industry,” said Indian Association of Tour Operators President Subhas Goyal.
Over 5.79 million foreign tourists visited India during the first nine months of this year. The visa on arrival scheme is expected to increase the numbers and give a big boost to the tourism industry while creating employment opportunities.
