‘E-visa, flights should resume’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.06.2021

As European countries take the lead to open their borders for those who are vaccinated, travel and tour operators say that India should resume scheduled international flights and start issuing e-tourist visas to encourage inbound travellers from countries with an ‘air bubble’ agreement. July/August is the season when most foreign tourists arrive in Chennai.

The move comes in the wake of a spike in demand for travel from the enquiries received from people of Indian origin looking for leisure trips and social visits as the international travel sector opens up. Chennai will benefit too as the Tamil diaspora in Europe, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore travel every year.

In 2018, 60.73 lakh foreign tourists visited the state. The state ranked first in foreign tourist arrivals for four years since 2014.

Different associations of travel agents and travel and tour operators have started to petition the union government to allow incoming travel from the countries which are allowing Indians to visit from July.

Subash Goyal, chairman, Stic Travel Group said, “A lot of countries in Europe have begun issuing of visa for Indian travellers. We should also start issuing e-tourist visas to people who are vaccinated from these countries so that the hospitality and tourism sector can revive.”

“There is an appetite for revenge travel among foreigners. This should be capitalised early on. The government should first start scheduled international flights with countries with which we have ‘air bubble’ agreement because flights are already going there and it is easy to convert them into scheduled services,” he added.

The request will soon be presented to the government through Confederation of Tourism Professionals, he said.

Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has petitioned the Centre through Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality, a policy platform of all travel and tour associations, to resume scheduled international flights. Basheer Ahmed of TAFI said that "There should be a uniform policy of testing and quarantine across the country. Foreigners who have got their vaccines and want to come for a short visit are hesitant of our rules."