India is welcoming tourists again after a long break.
Fully vaccinated foreign travellers can now skip quarantine upon
arrival in India, however they must produce a negative PCR test taken up
to 72 hours earlier.
This follows the resumption of tourist visas for travellers on
chartered flights, the first of which arrived on 15 October — the first
tourists to enter the country in 19 months. Visas will be extended to
those arriving on commercial flights from 15 November.
As for the latest lifting of quarantine, those who are not fully
vaccinated will be tested upon arrival and after seven after of
self-isolation.
Rajeev Kohli, joint managing director of Creative Travel India, which
runs inbound incentive travel programmes, welcomed the relaxation of
travel restrictions as India’s Covid-19 infections drop, with more than
70% of the population receiving one dose of the vaccine.
“Like
everywhere in the world, the pandemic hit the Indian [travel] industry
very hard. The loss of jobs has been extensive, and most will never come
back,” said Kohli.
“We really feel for our people and wish we, as business owners, could
do more. We are, therefore, super excited to have a date for reopening
of our borders to tourists.
“After 19 months of not being allowed to operate, we now have the opportunity to take our fate in our hands.
“There are still some protocols we need to be told...such as specific
details on vaccination and test requirements, but seeing the light at
the end of the tunnel is a great feeling. It’s a huge morale booster,
something that was badly needed for [industry] stakeholders.”
India attracted just 2.74 million foreign visitors last year — down from 10.93 million in 2019.
Source: Travel Weekly Asia