India’s new online visa facility has won plaudits from tourists, but the trade wants the scheme to be further refined and properly marketed to achieve greater results
The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi is among the airports in India to be implemented with the e-Tourist Visa facility
India’s new e-Tourist Visa (eTV) facility, which enables visitors to arrive at nine Indian airports after applying for the visa online, has fallen short of the expectations to raise international tourist arrivals to the country.
Launched on November 27 last year for citizens of 43 countries – including the US, Germany, Australia, Japan and Singapore – the eTV scheme was recently extended to China, Macau and Hong Kong, widening the programme to 76 countries.
“We could have recorded significant international tourist arrivals if the facility was extended to major traffic generating countries like the UK, Italy, Spain and Sweden,” said Subhash Goyal, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators.
“Also, the eTV is valid with one entry, this facility does not provide double- or multi-entry visa. Most tourists who visit India like to add neighbouring countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan to the itinerary; they do not take India-only holiday packages. We have been pleading since its introduction to have a double-entry visa,” he added.
Added Simone Wan, CEO and managing director, StayWell Hospitality Group: “Traditionally, getting a business visa for India is a difficult process but the Indian government has taken a step in the right direction with the eTV. However, there is a need to educate travellers and overseas tour operators that such a scheme exists.”
Arun Anand, managing director of Midtown Travels, agreed: “It is also important that the ministry of tourism creates awareness in countries which have been extended the scheme, instead of just adding more countries.”
According to India’s ministry of tourism, a total of 110,657 tourists arrived on the eTV from January to May 2015, up 1,024.4 per cent from 9,841 during the same period last year. However, this growth may be attributed to the introduction of the eTV for 76 countries, compared with the visa-on-arrival scheme that was extended to 12 countries.
Anand said: “The best way to gauge the success of the eTV is to compare total tourist arrivals from the markets that have been provided with the facility to the number of tourists arriving from these markets on eTVs.”
About 2.8 million foreign tourists visited India between January and April 2015, a mere increase of 2.7 per cent from the previous year, according to statistics from India’s Ministry of Tourism (MOT). Foreign tourist arrivals in May 2015 was about 500,000, a growth of 9.2 per cent year-on-year.
“Since the facility was launched at the end of the last year, we have to give it some time before its success can be measured,” urged Lalit Panwar, secretary of MOT.
Despite the lukewarm response from the trade, some tour operators have seen a spike in growth since the facility was introduced last year, enabling them to tap segments like luxury and weekend travellers.
“The eTV has allowed for spontaneous travel decisions. The difficult visa regime in the past resulted in many international tourists opting for other destinations,” said Amal Purandare, head India operations, Arzoo.com. “Its real success can only be gauged in the coming years when there is a significant increase in international tourist arrivals.”
Prashant Narayan, COO and head leisure travel inbound business, Thomas Cook India, said: “With the new government’s pro-tourism intent and introduction of eTV, India has been placed on the tourist radar for both the leisure and MICE segments. (We) have seen 10 to 12 per cent year-on-year growth in booking for inbound tourism.”
This article was first published in TTG Asia, August 7, 2015 issue, on page 23. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
