Visa on arrival soon for 16 more countries

Mumbai: The ministry of external affairs may soon extend visa-on-arrival to 16 more countries including France, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, Sweden, Vietnam, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands. This facility, introduced in January 2010, is at present available to tourists who arrive from Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.
The Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports can issue this visa.
Of the 3 million or so foreign tourists who visit India every year, about four per cent can opt for a visa on arrival. This number is expected to go up to nine per cent, about 22,500 a month, with maximum visas issued to France and Germany. It is not known if the facility will be extended to USA and UK, which remain the biggest source of tourists to India. While 16.5 per cent of tourists to India come from US, 15 per cent come from UK.
Despite about 12,500 passengers every month being eligible for visa on arrival currently, the Delhi and Mumbai airports, which together account for 45 per cent of the total air traffic in the country, receive only around 650 passengers a month who opt for this facility.
An executive of Delhi International Airport said the airport has been sounded out to this effect by the ministry.
18/04/10 Sneha Kupekar/Business Standard

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Categories: Airports Apr 2010, Foreign Apr 2010