4.45 lakh tourists arrived in India last year through the online visa scheme, online issuances increase 1,040% 

NEW DELHI : More than  4.45 lakh tourists arrived in India last year through the online visa scheme registering a growth of 1040.4%. The highest number of tourists came from the UK followed by the United States and Russia.

Though the growth figures are high, tourists using online facilities are still a small fraction of the total foreign tourist arrivals. India attracted about 70 lakh tourists in 2015 at a growth of 4.5%. During December, 2015, a total of 1,03,617 tourists arrived on e-tourist visa as compared to 14,083 during December, 2014, registering a growth of 635.8%.

Between January-December, 2015 a total of 4,45,300 tourist arrived as compared to 39,046 during January-December, 2014 registering a growth of 1040.4%, according to tourism ministry data. The facility for applying for visas online was started in November 2014.

“This high growth may be attributed to introduction of e-tourist visa for 113 countries…” the ministry said in a statement.

One of the immediate impact of the decision has been that India has moved 13 positions ahead — from 65th to 52nd rank — in the Tourism and Travel Competitive Index as per the World Economic Forum report.

According to tourism ministry data 23.81% of tourists came from the UK, 19.59% from the US, followed by Russia (9.33%), Australia (5.44%) and Germany (4.86%). Other countries include France (4.44%), Canada (4.40%), China (3.10%), Republic of Korea (1.83%) and Ukraine (1.67%).

The maximum number of arrivals were predictably at New Delhi airport where 36.23% of the foreign tourists landed. This was followed by Mumbai airport (21.90%), Goa airport (16.54%), Bengaluru airport (5.54%) and Kochi airport (4.68%). Other airports that drew foreign travellers included Chennai (4.21%), Kolkata (2.74%), Hyderabad (2.68%), Trivandrum (2.05%) and Ahmedabad (1.79%).

There were initial teething problems with the online visa facility, initially called “visa-on-arrival”.

Many tourists landed in the country only to be turned back for inadequate documentation. Inundated by complaints, the ministry changed the nomenclature to e-tourist visa. Starting with 40 countries the facility has now bee extended to 113 countries. The tourism ministry now plans to extend it for medical visas as well. by Agencies.