The numbers are out! Foreign tourist arrivals with e-visa has jumped 11 times in India

India has registered a whopping 1086% growth over January-April, 2014, thanks to the new ‘e-Tourist Visa’ facility. Around 94,998 tourists availed the scheme launched last November.

Earlier, the TVoA (Travel Visa on Arrival) facility was available to citizens of 12 countries. Only 8,008 tourists used ‘Visa on Arrival’ same time last year according to a press release by the Ministry of Tourism.

Christmas just arrived earlier for travel agencies and websites in India. “We expect the new e-tourist visa facility will result in a clear up gradation of our inbound traffic by a minimum of 12- 15%, and this is only the start! There is huge potential of creating a huge competitive space. It is a great opportunity”, confirmed Mr. Prashant Narayan, COO of Thomas Cook India.

Under the current scheme, a foreign tourist can apply for an e-visa by uploading his details and paying the required fee online. The authorities can then process the application and send an e-visa via email within 72 hours.

The e-facility visa-on-arrival allows foreign nationals from 76 countries to come into India for tourism or short term medical treatments for a short stay of 30 days.