India to Relax Visa Rules for Transit Travellers

Soon, foreign tourists on transiting travel to India would be able to make a quick dash to the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra or to regal palaces in Jaipur as authorities in the country consider relaxing visa rules for those booking flights tickets.

India to Relax Visa Rules for Transit Travellers

In what could be great news for transiting fliers making flights tickets reservations for India, the Indian Government is considering the option of relaxing its entry rules with the tourism ministry coming up with a transiting visa – for 48 to 72 hours – to encourage foreign fliers to make quick stopovers in India.

As per reports, the scheme could be implemented in a few months, initially in Delhi and Mumbai.

The development is surely going to put fat smiles on the faces of foreign tourists who book flights tickets for a transiting travel through India and look to have a glimpse at the world renowned Taj Mahal (Agra) or the forts and palaces of Jaipur. The move is also going to boost the number of foreigners taking flights tickets for India.

“We hope to encourage leisure and business travellers headed for Southeast Asia or our neighbourhood to prolong their stay in India,” online media sources quoted a tourism ministry source said.

Industry insiders are of the opinion that the move was long overdue. Indian Association of Tour Operators (IOTA) President Subhash Goyal was quoted in an online news report as stating: “There’s a lot of transit movement of business travellers and tourists in India. There are thousands of passengers such as defence personnel and paramedical staff for Afghanistan who transit in India. If we offer them a transit visa so that they can go to Agra from Delhi or Goa from Mumbai, there will be a boom in our hospitality industry business. A large segment of business travellers headed for Nepal and Sri Lanka can also be tapped.”

Despite India’s incredible cultural and historical legacy, the country doesn’t command even one percent of world’s tourism. However, moves such as these are likely to offer a boost to foreign tourist arrivals, enticing leisure and corporate vacationers to look for flights tickets for an Indian travel.