4 hours ago
1
Officials with the Tourism Ministry said the run is simply a formalisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to NRIs and overseas Indians to bring their friends and associates to sojourn India and lend to gathering marque India arsenic a tourism destination.
The Ministry of Tourism volition motorboat its Chalo India run connected the sidelines of the ongoing World Travel Mart successful London.
Chalo India is simply a first-of-its-kind inaugural to bring much overseas tourists to India, wherein the authorities volition let “friends” of diaspora members to get escaped visas. Five overseas nationals nominated by each Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder connected a peculiar portal volition beryllium eligible for a gratis e-visa (visa granted without fees).
There are astir 5 cardinal OCI paper holders, arsenic per authorities records. While each OCI holder tin nominate up to 5 people, the full fig of escaped e-visas to beryllium granted nether the said inaugural is 1 lakh, officials said.
As the peculiar portal goes live, the OCI cardholders volition request to registry connected the aforesaid and cardinal successful the details of their nominated friends; they volition beryllium assigned a unsocial codification aft owed verification. The designated friends tin past usage the peculiar codification to avail of a escaped visa.
The UK is the 3rd largest root marketplace for inbound tourists to India. At astir 1.9 million, it besides has 1 of the biggest Indian diaspora.
The Ministry of Tourism is participating astatine WTM London, being held from November 5 to 7, with a delegation of 50 stakeholders including authorities governments, inbound circuit operators, airlines and hoteliers to showcase India’s vibrant taste diverseness and the immense scope of tourism products and immersive experiences, said a connection connected Tuesday.
Explained
Why abrupt propulsion to tourism?
The overseas tourer footfall to India has been severely deed successful the aftermath of the pandemic and numbers haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. Around 6.19 cardinal and 1.52 cardinal overseas tourists arrived successful India successful 2022 and 2021 respectively, compared to 10.93 cardinal successful 2019.
The absorption of this year`s India pavilion is MICE, Mahakhumbh and wedding tourism, said the statement. A peculiar mock Mandapam successful the Pavilion has been created to springiness the look and consciousness of an Indian wedding. The India pavilion was inaugurated by High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Mugdha Sinha, successful the beingness of Tourism Ministers of Telangana, Goa and Uttarakhand.
A full of 9.5 cardinal overseas tourists visited India during 2023 retired of which 0.92 cardinal visits were from the UK, making it the 3rd largest root marketplace for inbound tourists to India, arsenic per statistic by the Tourism Ministry.
Officials with the Tourism Ministry said the run is simply a formalisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to NRIs and overseas Indians to bring their friends and associates to sojourn India and lend to gathering marque India arsenic a tourism destination.
.png "indianexpress.")
.png "khaleejtimes")
.png "arabnews")
.png "gulfnews"){kind=logo}
English (US) · 
Hindi (IN) ·