UK needs cheaper visas to attract Indians, says leading think-tank
Leading UK-based think-tank, Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), released research to support its call for a new, more economical visa regime to attract Indian visitors to the country. It revealed the UK was losing out as France attracted 185,000 more Indian business visitors and tourists in 2016. Indian tourists' number in the UK fell 1.73% in 2016, while in France it grew 5.3%. Here's more.
Number of Indian tourists to UK more than halved: RCS
The UK's Indian tourist market-share more than halved from 4.4% in 2006 to 1.9% in 2016. 600,000 Indians visited France in 2016, 185,000 more than the UK's Indian visitors, RCS says. It presented the "Britain and India: Building a New Visa Partnership" fact-sheet to British MPs as part of its 2016 campaign for a new UK-India bilateral visa agreement to reduce tourist visa cost.
Proposed agreement brings down two-year visa cost to Rs. 8k
The new UK-India Visa Agreement being proposed would reduce the cost of a two-year visa from £388 (roughly Rs. 35,000) to just £89 (Rs. 8,000) and allow travelers to make repeat visits within two years. This would mirror the reduced cost two-year multiple entry visa that was launched in Jan'16 for visitors traveling both ways between the UK and China, the RCS stated.
British Labour MP Virendra Sharma backs visa campaign
RCS feels the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April, to be attended by PM Narendra Modi, presents the ideal setting for announcing the new agreement. A new UK-India bilateral visa agreement will enhance trade and tourism, as well as strengthen important business and cultural ties, enabling both the UK and India to capitalize on future global opportunities, said Labour MP Virendra Sharma.
Indian industry strongly supports the visa initiative
The new fact-sheet was produced by RCS with the support of several organizations, including Airlines UK, Airport Operators Association, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Edwardian Hotels, Tourism Alliance, and UKinbound, a travel trade association which focuses on the interests of the UK's inbound tourism sector.
UK has potential to benefit more from India's world-beating growth
"Indian businesses, students, and tourists already make a big contribution to the economy across the UK," said David Landsman, Chair of CII UK India Business Forum, and Tata Ltd. Executive Director. "The UK has the potential to benefit more from India's world-beating growth. A strong balanced and fair visa partnership is an indispensable part of unlocking the potential for both countries," said Landsman.
RCS has been leading the campaign for few years now
London-based Royal Commonwealth Society, founded in 1868 as an NGO, has been leading a campaign for a new UK-India visa agreement for a few years. RCS believes the agreement would enhance trade and tourism, and strengthen important business and cultural ties between the two countries.
