Tourism Push: ‘Gift Kit’ With SIM Card to e-Visa Tourists on Arrival

This is an interesting development, and probably a first for any country across the globe. Tourism Ministry is planning on a new initiative, that will help new tourists in India.

Any new Foreigner visiting India on e-tourist visa will be welcomed to India with a “Gift Kit”. Among other things this Gift Kit will contain a SIM card to help the tourist with his communication needs.

A Tourism Ministry official said, “This will be gift from Tourism Ministry…It will be handed over to the tourists arriving in India on e-tourist visa”

The Tourist will need to recharge the SIM card contained in the Gift Kit, upon which he can immediately start making calls.

Apart from SIM card, the kit will have Maps, booklets, and a CD containing information on various on Tourist Destinations in India. The kit will also provide Do’s and Don’ts while traveling across India, details regarding whom to contact in case of emergency among other things.

E-Visa Tourists Arrivals Create a record

E-visa facility initiated by the Modi Govt. in 2014 is continuing to break all existing tourism records. In the month of August 2015, 724% more International tourists entered the country, compared to previous year in the same period.

In month of October 2015, e-Visa tourist set another record by registering a growth of 1987.9% – A total of 56,477 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 2,705 during the month of October, 2014.

If you take 10 month period between January to October a total of 2,58,182 tourist arrived on e-Tourist Visa as compared to 21,995 during January-October, 2014 registering a growth of 1073.8% . [source]

Popular Countries For E-Visa Tourist Arrivals

UK Tourists thronged India  the most in 2015 with over 22.8 percent visitors from that country. US visitor numbers were second highest with 16.70 percent followed by France (7.09%), Germany (7.02%) and Australia (5.53%).

New Delhi Airport received nearly half (50.93%) of all these visitors followed by Mumbai Airport (20.54%), Bengaluru Airport (5.90%) and Chennai Airport (5.61%)

Countries which are covered under e-Visa facility

Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Island,Chile, China, China- SAR Hong Kong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand,Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Russia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam.

And the 16 International airports which can accept e-Visa arrivals:

Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi, Goa, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Amritsar, Gaya, Lucknow and Trichy.