India Is To Promote Tourism by Extending Visa on Arrival Visa for 40 More Nations

According to PlanMin, besides increasing the scope of Tourist Visa on Arrival facility, the panel has agreed to impliment visa under TVoA category to delegates who come to India for attending meetings, conferences and exhibitions. India is preparing itself as more tourist friendly destination by enhancing on arrival visa for 40 more countries, with extra features like online visa and attracting senior citizens of foreign nationals. A top level committee having representatives from Home Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Planning Commission and National Security Advisor have taken the initiative to make possible the above mentioned facilities. The decision taken during the meeting to ease tourist visa norms earlier this month at Yojana Bhavan has been sent to the Tourism and Home Ministries for administrative action by the Planning Commission. Pllanning Minister Rajeev Shukla told to PTI, "Now it’s up to Home Ministry to take essential action. It is an administrative decision which will soon be applicable." At present, visa is allowed to delegates on the basis of report about the testimonials of the conference organisers. Shukla further stated that it has been planned to simplify and standardise the visa application form and photograph at the same time. The column for disclosing religion in the visa application form is planned to be deleted. The panel has also declared for applying Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facility to all countries except the ones in Priority Reference (PR) list. The Minister also said that the nation will also take initiatives to allow tourists or couples whose age is 60 years or above from all countries except PR list (nations) to drive the pensioners market. The panel was unanimous that the issue of TVoA and ETA facility to China may be taken up on accord to the relation between the two nations. The countries for which visa on arrival facility would be extended are US, the UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Italy, Swedan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Norway and Ireland. Under TVoA system, India has agreement with 11 other countries like Japan, Finland, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Myanmar. At present, the TVoA facility on arrival visa facility is available only at international airports of Delhi, Chennai, Kochi Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram. The panel is looking to extend this facility to other airports. Besides Commission's Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, others who participated in deliberations on the issue include Foreign Secretary (Sujatha Singh), Tourism Secretary (Parvez Dewan), Additional Secretary, Home Affairs and representatives from the Intelligence Bureau and the PMO (Prime Minister's Office). Shukla claimed that the initiatives taken by the panel will drive more international tourists along with the increase in foreign exchange. The current account deficit is the difference between inflow and outflow of foreign exchange. During 2012-13, the CAD was at an all-time high of 4.8% of GDP or $88.2 billion. Government proposes to bring it down to $70 billion or 3.8% of the GDP this fiscal. In 2012, India received 6.58 million foreign tourists, up 4.3% over the previous year. India's foreign exchange earnings in 2012 from tourism were at $17.74 billion, showing an increase of 7.1% year on year. India's share in the international tourist receipts in 2012 stood at 0.64%, with an overall ranking of 41. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism during January to August 2013 were at $12.025 billion, a growth of 6.7%, as compared to $11.273 billion during the same period of last year. Ref: http://www.ibtimes.com/india-extend-visa-arrival-facility-citizens-40-countries-promote-foreign-exchange-earnings-1415676