Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: India implements ‘visa on arrival’ to boost tourism |

Saturday, January 2, 2010

India implements ‘visa on arrival’ to boost tourism |

To attract more tourists, the Union government on Friday has decided to implement a Visa on Arrival scheme for the citizens of five countries— Japan, Singapore, Finland, New Zealand and Luxembourg. The facility is launched on an experimental basis for a year.

The tourists from these countries could also procure their visas from the diplomatic missions/posts in the normal course.

The “tourist visa-on-arrival”, with a maximum validity of 30 days with single-entry facility to begin with, will be granted by the Immigration Officers at the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

The move comes at a time when visa norms in the country are being tightened. This is the first time the country has decided to relax rules to permit visitors to get their passports stamped at Indian airports for entry

Addressing a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs Home Minister P Chidambaram said the present number of about five million visitors every year was too small and a large country like India should have at least 50 million visitors.

The tourist traffic needs to boosted. This will be possible through various measures including streamlining of visa and immigration procedures and extending them better service, he said.

The Home Minister said the Foreigners' Division of the Home Ministry, which deals with visa issues, will be revamped through the use of information and communication technology.

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said: “The [rule of] gap of two months between two visas would apply to all tourist visa holders.”

However, the restriction of two-month gap will not apply to PIO (Persons of Indian origin) or OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card-holders and foreigners holding business, employment, student and other categories of visa.

Incidentally, India has already introduced long-term multiple entry visas for 18 countries including France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, Chile, Vietnam, and Japan.

Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Thailand issue visa on arrival for most nationalities including Indians. Malaysia also used to issue visa on arrival for Indians, but stopped it recently because there were complaints of Indians overstaying.

- Asian Tribune -

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.