THE Indian government has toughened its rules for visa-on-arrival (VOA) seekers, forbidding medical tourists and media personnel from availing of the facility with effect from January.
This is likely to affect medical service providers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the two states nearest to the Maldives. India has a separate visa category for medical tourists.
“The visa restrictions will have far-reaching consequences for Kerala as several accredited private hospitals have been approved by insurance companies. The economic implications will be felt soon,” said E M Najeeb, executive director, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, which treated 40,000 medical tourists from the Maldives in 2012, up from 36,000 in 2011.
Others, like the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, have tied up with Maldivian partners to facilitate medical tourism.
Air India officials said that at least 70 passengers fly daily on each direct flight from Male to Trivandrum and Bengaluru, largely for medical treatment. The Indian High Commission in the Maldives is currently processing 50 medical visas day, which is said to be less than the demand.
Some trade sources feel that the move is linked to the Maldives cancelling the contract of India’s GMR for the development of the Male airport last year.
Meanwhile, other changes to VOA are also afoot. After extending the facility to six South-east Asian countries in January 2011, plans are in the pipeline to extend the facility to several more prime source markets like Germany, France and Russia shortly.
VOA will also be issued from Kerala’s Trivandrum airport from April 1.
Padmini Narayanan, managing director of Chennai-based Akshaya India Travels, said: “This facility, if delivered seamlessly, can increase inbound tourism manifold.”
India issued 13,903 VOAs from January to November 2012, a 25 per cent growth from the 11,921 VOAs issued during the corresponding period in 2011.
