TravTalk India Online Magazine
Visa policies are a crucial factor shaping outbound travel, influencing both leisure and MICE tourism. Simplified processes like e-visa or visa-on-arrival attract travellers, while complex or delayed procedures deter them.
Shravan Bhalla, Director, High Flyer
Visa policies play an important role, as they regulate the entry of passengers into a country for a specific period and a genuine purpose. Some countries have recognised the importance of implementing traveller-friendly visa policies by introducing visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival, or e-visa facilities, making it highly convenient for travellers. This has helped such countries attract a growing number of visitors and generate more revenue.
Zeenat Gangee, Tourism Promotion Manager – Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority
Visa policies play a pivotal role in shaping arrival figures and can have a direct impact on destination choices. For Indian travellers, prioritising convenience is key, with quick connectivity and flexibility being essential, particularly for those making last-minute travel plans. Mauritius has always benefited from this advantage, as it has always been a visa-on-arrival destination.
Manoj Saraf, Managing Director, Gainwell Travel & Captain, Gainwell Sports
Visa policies significantly influence international leisure travel, particularly for Indian travellers. As per the latest global rankings, India is currently rated 85th among the world’s most powerful passports. Indian citizens can travel to 59 countries without the need for a visa or with a visa-on-arrival. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and the Maldives have seen a surge in Indian tourists, largely due to their visa-free policies.
Mahendra Vakharia, Managing Director, Pathfinders Holidays
Having a standard visa policy is critical for the growth of the destination and attracting more visitors from India, or from any country for that matter. A reasonable and consistent visa policy is helpful to generate good numbers of tourists from India. Ease of obtaining a visa is the first and foremost barrier to be overcome if you want to attract more visitors from India.
Adl Karim, Director, FlyCreative Online
The ease of travel is significantly influenced by a country’s visa policies, with destinations offering streamlined processes experiencing a substantial surge in Indian visitors. Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, for instance, have witnessed remarkable growth in arrivals from India following the introduction of visa-on-arrival option. India is poised to become third-largest aviation market by 2026, driven by its demographic dynamics and other factors.
Khushnooma Das, General Manager – Products & Trade Relations India, FCM Travel
Post COVID, we have seen specific sectors booming. Besides yearly targets, companies are launching schemes every month. These have a short deadline that will not suite the visa framework laid in place by Europe or the USA. Those need planning in advance. Thus, we now see trips with shorter time frames moving towards Georgia, Vietnam, Japan, or Australia where there are lesser layers.
Arun Iyer, Founder & MD, My Golf Tours
Visa policies significantly influence the number of Indian travellers visiting a destination. Post-COVID, countries that swiftly introduced e-visa, like Vietnam saw a surge in Indian tourists and increased flight connectivity. Nations with complex visa processes, such as Italy, are losing out on Indian visitors, US visas still face a backlog, and Canadian visa faces challenges of refusals despite many applicants holding valid US visa.
Gurdeep Singh Gujral, CEO & Director, Gujral Tours & Travels
Visa plays a crucial role in travel planning, especially for Indian passport holders. Countries with visa-free or easy visa processes, such as Mauritius, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, are top choices for travellers. E-visa for Vietnam and quick visa approvals for Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan make them hassle-free destinations. These locations allow for last-minute holiday deals.
Compiled by Surbhi Sharma
