Nine India airports to have e-visa facility soon

The finance ministry's decision to introduce e-visas at nine airports in the country over a period of six months has been welcomed by aviation and tourism industry captains. With e-visa in place, a traveller won't need to visit the consulate and can get it by completing the procedure online.

"The FM's proposal to introduce e-visas in a phased manner at nine airports complements the government's expansion of the visa-on-arrival scheme announced earlier this year. Both moves will help create a more robust tourism sector," said Sajid Khan, country manager, India, (South African Airways).

Vikram Malhi, MD, Expedia (Asia) seconded him and said, "The announcement of e-visas at nine airports will also help in expanding the footprint of the foreign tourist beyond the metros while facilitating an easy visa procuring process."

"E-visas will definitely lead to an increase in foreign tourist arrivals and thus increase foreign exchange earnings," said Peter Kerkar, director, Cox and King, a leading tours and travels company.

Industry insiders said plans to develop more airports through the PPP model, especially in tier II and III cities, will also open new avenues of growth for the aviation sector. New airports will not only allow domestic carriers to tap into newer markets but also help their international counterparts expand their footprint in India by reaching out to tourists in smaller cities through existing or new codeshare agreements.