293% jump in tourists availing e-visa to India

NEW DELHI: More than 4.34 lakh foreigners availed the facility of e-tourist visa on arrival to India in the first five months of this year. This marked a growth

NEW DELHI: More than 4.34 lakh foreigners availed the facility of e-tourist visa on arrival to India in the first five months of this year. This marked a growth of 293% in comparison to the number of tourists that visited the country using the facility during the same period last year.

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According to the data released by ministry of tourism, last year during the same period 1,10,567 foreigners visited India using the e-tourist visa on arrival facility.

Till last year, citizens of only 43 countries could avail e-tourist visa but the central government has now extended the facility to 150 countries.

Under the e- Tourist Visa scheme, an applicant needs an email from the Indian government authorising them to travel to India. Based on this document, the visitor can land in the country and then get their visa stamped on their passport by immigration officials at the airport.

In terms of availing an e-tourist visa on arrival, US ranks at the top with 18.52% of total visitors, followed by UK with 15.63% and China with 8.17% visitors, according to the tourism ministry.

From March 1 this year, India also extended its visaon arrival – which is different from e-tourist visa on arrival – to Japan. Those arriving in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad can avail this facility if the purpose of travel is business, tourism, conference and medical. The visa is valid for 30 days.

Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju tweeted on Saturday that the record (number of) e-visa for 150 countries will boost tourism and trade.