With India all set to resume travel for international tourists, the government has decided to opt for 'reciprocal treatment' to the applicants under new visa conditions. As per reports, the visa facilitation will now depend on the applicant's home country's policy for Indian tourists, according to the Times of India A senior official of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed that to ease all tensions and issues emerging from the current travel situation, a meeting was held recently that was chaired by the Union Home Secretary and attended by representatives from all concerned agencies. The official added that it was decided in the meeting that reciprocal treatment would be adopted for tourists visiting India. He added, "Many countries have opened for tourists from foreign countries but have posed several restrictions for Indian travelers. The issues have been raised with the diplomats of concerned countries to get the issues resolved." Therefore, reports have it that an incoming foreign tourist might be required to provide their vaccination certificate or will have to undergo a quarantine period or face rejection, depending on how Indian tourists are treated while visiting their country. Reportedly, the concerned officials will now be scrutinizing each application based on the latest rules, instead of a standard one, which was applicable 18 months ago, when the tourist visas were withdrawn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the MHA has also held discussions with the Ministry of Tourism, tour operators association, Ministry of Aviation, and other stakeholders to chalk out the framework. As per reports, the final decision over the matter will be made during the next meeting, which will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary scheduled for next week. Indian authorities have expanded a visa-on-arrival scheme to include 43 countries — among them Australia, Brazil, Germany and the United States. The liberalized visa regime will eventually be extended to 180 countries, aimed at helping India improve its dismal record in attracting international tourist visits. — Agencies
