Japan, South Korea & UAE are Now Eligible for India visa-on-arrival:
India now offers Japan, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates Passport Holders visa-on-arrival for tourism, business conferences, and medical purposes. The visa will remain valid for two months; visitors can visit India up to two times within this period. This facility is currently available at 6 airports:
- Bangalore
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Hyderabad
- Kolkata
- Mumbai
Passport holders from more than 130 countries can take advantage of this facility across 30 different international airports in the country.
According to the government’s latest Economic Survey for 2023-24, in 2023, more than 9.2 million international tourists visited India, which is 22% more than in 2022 records. However, this is still less than the pre-pandemic period which was about 10.9 million.
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According to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC):
Last year, India earned $27.5 billion in foreign exchange through tourism. While this was 66% higher than in 2022, this is also still 14% less than 2019 records.
In the budget announced last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted making India a top global destination. As part of this initiative, India has made its e-tourist visa-free for Malaysian nationals which allows the 30-day double-entry visa from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
A similar visa waiver is also available for Thai passport holders until 2024.
While these are positive steps towards boosting international tourism and India’s participation in trade shows, there has been no increase in the global promotion budget, which had been significantly reduced by 97% in the interim budget that was announced in February.
News Reference: Times of India & Skift
