THE Indian government is looking to extend e-visa facilities to citizens of 36 more countries including Italy, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Morocco, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Morocco.

India’s ministry of tourism has sent a proposal to the ministry of home affairs and it is likely to be cleared before the beginning of the October inbound season, said an informed source.

Launched in November 2014, the e-visa scheme is at present available for citizens of 150 countries.

“(This) is a definite boost for the tourism industry as it makes travelling to India more convenient, less time consuming and hassle free. It is another positive move from the government that is clearly seeking to make tourism one of the key drivers of economic growth in the country,” said Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com.

However, some tour operators said that there is a need to improve the scheme first before extending it to more countries.

Subhash Goyal, chairman, STIC Travel Group, said: “There is a need to allow multiple entry on e-visas so that tourists looking to visit neighbouring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka can come back to India.”

A total of 36,982 tourists arrived in June using e-visas compared to 15,557 in June the previous year, a growth of 137 per cent.

Plaza Premium Lounge in Terminal 1 of Taoyuan International Airport

THE Plaza Premium Group has made its first foray into Taiwan with the opening of four airport lounges at Taoyuan International Airport.

Located at the departure terminals in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the new lounges – decked out with a timber and trees theme – span over 2,500m² and can comfortably seat 600 in total.

Facilities include the brand’s signature honeycomb seating, hot showers, private resting suites, VIP rooms, meeting rooms, along with the availability of electrical outlets, international TV channels, newspapers and magazines, and complimentary Wi-Fi. There will also be hot food available, freshly prepared at live-cooking stations.

The company has also sponsored two Travellers Experience Zones, one in each terminal, to let travellers experience various lounge facilities.

At the opening ceremony, Song Hoi-see, founder and CEO of the group, said: “Plaza Premium Lounge in Taipei is the first project of our group in Taiwan. We have invested a lot in Taipei by introducing four cutting-edge Plaza Premium Lounges to facilitate travellers departing from, transiting through and arriving at Taipei.”

The basic lounge package in either terminal starts from NT$1,300 (US$40.50) for two hours.

Travellers at Siem Reap International Airport

CAMBODIA’s increasing air connectivity is the key driver accounting for the South-east Asian nation’s continued tourism growth, according to local tour operators.

The latest figures from Cambodia Airports (CA) show a five per cent year-on-year increase in international visitors landing at the country’s three international airports between January and June with more than 3.4 million passing through Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh airports.

Phnom Penh International Airport saw the largest increase of 10 per cent.

“Cambodia is increasingly connected with the rest of the world with the country’s three international airports opening the country up to the growing middle-class of neighbouring Asian countries as well as to the rest of the world,” said Jo Crisp, general manager of Peak Cambodia DMC.

This year has seen a raft of direct flights launched, including between Sihanoukville and China, and Sihanoukville and Vietnam.

Amy McLoughlin, co-founder of Ayana Journeys, said: “Increased accessibility to the country that is both affordable and more direct is encouraging visitors tight on time seeking to get to the heart of the destination as quickly as possible.”

In addition to more connections, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh airports recently underwent a US$100 million upgrading programme to expand terminals and double capacity to five million passengers each.