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New Delhi:
Over 4,000 foreigners from 11 countries used the tourist visa on
arrival facility in the first four months of this year, with the
maximum numbers hailing from New Zealand, Japan and the
Philippines, the tourism ministry said Tuesday.
The highest number of visas on arrival (VoAs) were issued to New
Zealand citizens (946), followed by Japan (777), the Philippines
(623), Singapore (596), Indonesia (551) and Finland (516). Other
country-nationals who availed the facility were from Cambodia
(49), Vietnam (32), Luxembourg (25), Myanmar (23) and Laos (1).
According to the tourism ministry, in April alone, a total of
1,234 foreigners came to India as compared to 1,089 in March.
Indonesia topped the list in April with 255 people, followed by
New Zealanders at 241. Others were from the Philippines (231),
Japan (194), Singapore (165), Finland (105), Vietnam (13), Myanmar
(12), Luxembourg (11) and Cambodia (7).
"During the period January-April, a total number of 4,139 VoAs on
arrival were issued," the ministry said.
The official said the maximum number of visas were issued at the
Indira Gandhi International Airport here. As many as 2,228 visas
were issued at the Delhi airport, followed by Mumbai (1,009),
Chennai (684) and Kolkata (218).
In 2010, over 6,500 foreigners used the scheme to visit India.
The scheme was first introduced Jan 1, 2010 for citizens of
Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore. Following a
good response, the government extended it to six more countries --
Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar --
from January 2011.
India introduced the scheme in its bid to promote tourism and
facilitate the visits of foreigners who plan their visits at a
short notice.
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