50% off - India Visa fee for Commonwealth Games!

The Indian tourism ministry is likely to waive off 50% of the visa fee charged from visitors of Commonwealth nations as an incentive to boost foreign tourist arrivals. This is part of its effort to offer incentives for tourism to India for the Commonwealth Games to be held in October.

“We are considering a proposal to waive off 50% of the visa fee. The expense will be borne by the tourism ministry,” a source said. The move comes after the positive response to ‘Visit India 2009’ promotion where major stakeholders like hospitality partners, tour operators and others had offered schemes and promotions in addition to what the visitor paid for. The visa fee waiver will supplement the promotions and the ministry is already in talks with Delhi Guest House, New Delhi airport hotels, India travel agents and New Delhi tour operators for extending these incentives for another year. Commonwealth games 2010 are expected to bring millions of visitors to Delhi and India and therefore the government wants to make the maximum out of this opportunity.

There are 54 members of the Commonwealth of nations of which visitors from UK, Australia and Canada form a large part of India’s tourist inflow. India received 5.11 million tourists of which 0.5 million come from Commonwealth nations.

The waiver fee is going to be a significant revenue loss, but it will be more than made up by the business generated by the millions of tourists pouring into the country.