e-Visa will boost inbound tourism: Thomas Cook

Introduction of e-Visa at nine airports across the country would boost inbound tourism in the upcoming season and attract more overseas tourists, a leading travel operator said Thursday.

"The budget announcement of e-Visas at nine airports reflects the pro-tourism vision of the new government and puts Destination India in spotlight," Thomas Cook (India) Ltd managing director Madhavan Menon said in a statement here.

Presenting the budget for 2014-15, union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said electronic travel authorization (e-Visa) for countries to be identified would be introduced at nine airports in a phased manner with infrastructure support in the next six months.

As tourism is one of the largest job creators globally, it supports many economies the world over.

"As the e-visa facility will empower allied businesses connect with the tourism industry, we look forward to its speedy and effective implementation," Menon said.

Jaitley, however, did not mention in his over two-hour-long budget speech the nine airports where the facility will be offered.