India expands visa-on-arrival and e-visa facilities to boost tourism

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on August 5 announced that India will extend visa-on-arrival facility to citizens of Japan, South Korea and UAE. The update was provided in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

Visa-on-arrival allows visitors from these countries to stay in India for up to 60 days for tourism, business, conference and medical purposes, including the option of double entry. The service is available at six designated airports, making travel more convenient for these visitors.

Additionally, the ministry has expanded the e-visa facility, which is now accessible to citizens of 167 countries. The e-visa allows entry through 30 designated international airports and six major seaports, making travel simpler for a wide range of international tourists.

The Ministry of Tourism conducts various surveys, research and feasibility studies to inform policy development and evaluate current programmes. The data collected helps identify areas of improvement and ensure that tourism policies meet their goals.

To enhance the safety of tourists and provide immediate assistance, 15 state governments and Union Territory administrations have deployed tourist police. A 24x7 multilingual tourist information-helpline is also available toll-free at 1800111363 or short code 1363, which provides assistance in 12 languages, including 10 international languages.

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which was launched in 2014-15, aims to develop tourism infrastructure across India. Financial assistance is provided to states, Union Territory administrations and central agencies. Since its inception, 76 projects have been sanctioned with a total revised amount of ₹5287.90 crore, out of which ₹4944.47 crore has been released. The scheme has been updated to Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) to promote sustainable and responsible tourism.

The Ministry has also launched National Mission on Pilgrimage Revival and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) for development of pilgrimage sites. ₹1621.14 crore has been sanctioned under the scheme, out of which ₹1024.18 crore has already been released.