More Russian tourists to visit India under relaxed visa rules

"The flow of tourists from Russia to India may increase as getting entrance visas will be facilitated", Valery Korovkin, the chief of the international cooperation department of the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism), told Itar-Tass news agency yesterday.

"The tourist stream to India from Russia will surely increase when getting visas becomes easier," he said.

"It is not that the number of Russian tourists in India will increase many-fold, as this is not a short distance and travel to India is not cheap," the Rostourism representative said.

However, it can be said with confidence that more Russian travellers will head for India, particularly for Goa in west India, popularity of which is increasing with every year.

"India presents historic and cultural interest to foreign tourists and still more tourists are welcome," he said.

Maya Lomidze, the executive director of the Russian Association of Tour Operators, was quoted as saying by the agency that "easier visas will bring more tourists to India".

Lomidze said there is a massive flow of tourists so far only to Goa where Russians travel mainly through tour operators.

India recently relaxed its tourist visa rules by lifting restrictions imposed on foreign visitors to have a two-month cooling off period between subsequent visits. Hence, those wishing to get a new visa to India will no longer have to wait for two months after the expiry of the previous one.

The restriction was imposed in 2009 after the Mumbai terror attack.

In its November 23 order, the Home Ministry said, "The provision relating to the two-month gap between two visits of a foreign national to India on a tourist visa has been reviewed by the government. It has now been decided to lift the restriction of two-month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India".

The authorities believe this measure will give a fresh impetus to the development of tourism.

According to latest data, foreign tourist arrivals in India this year till October showed a marginal increase of 6.2 per cent compared to last year. Tourist arrivals till October were 52.19 lakh.

With the lifting of the 60-day restriction, foreign tourists will be encouraged to visit India and use it as a hub while visiting southeast Asian and neighbouring countries.

Some 40,000 Russians visit Goa every year, statistics of the Russian tourism industry indicate, the agency reported.