)
Tour operators are planning to tap the recent travel visa pact between Australia and New Zealand during the every-four-year International Cricket Council World Cup in 2015. The agreement between the co-hosts will allow foreigners to travel the two for 10 weeks, January 26 to April 5, with a single visa.
The World Cup is between February 14 and March 29.
New Zealand will provide a three-month visa on arrival to one with an Australian visa. This will include those with temporary visas already in Australia.
Outbound Tour Operators Association of India President Guldeep Singh Sahni said, "Even with the rules, the cost and time reductions will help promote both countries as destinations."
While Australia hopes to host somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 Indian visitors for the event, the Tourism Forecasting Committee predicts 190,000 India visitors for 2014-15, a 6.4 per cent increase over a year ago.
Nishant Kashikar, country manager (India and the Gulf), Tourism Australia, said, "This is a good move and it will help ease greater numbers to both countries and increase revenue. The World Cup is one of the largest sporting events of the world, and Australia being a sport-loving nation is looking to co-host a memorable World Cup."
The number of Indian travellers to New Zealand has shown an increase of 14 per cent for the year ended July. The number rose to 34,208 from 29,936 a year ago.
Grahame Morton, New Zealand's High Commissioner, said, "The country expects to host 50,000 foreign visitors during the World Cup, with Australia, England and India likely to supply the most."
