Sri Lanka Cuts Visa Fees For SAARC Countries

 Srilanka, Travel  No Responses »
Nov 152011
 
sri-lanka-map

Good news for your future Srilanka tour in 2012! Sri Lanka government has reduced a $50 visa fee to $20.

Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Department launched the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system last month to grant prior approval for visa via online for foreign nationals from 78 countries. The system is to take effect from January 01, 2012. They will now charge $10 from South Asian travellers and $20 from others.

The previous on-arrival visa system will continue as a reciprocal gesture for people travelling from The Maldives and Singapore, the two countries reciprocating the facility for Sri Lankans.

Earlier the government has decided to charge a fee of US$ 50 for a tourist visa with double entry for 30 days, US$ 60 for a business visa with multiple entry for 30 days, and US$ 25 for transit visa with single entry for seven days.

The move comes after India protested the $50 fee as being too excessive and warned that it would severely impact tourism, which has hit an all-time high of nearly 670,000 arrivals.

Sri Lanka hopes to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016. Now the reduced visa fee was encouraging news for the industry.

 Posted by at 3:48 am  Tagged with: , , ,

New Garib Rath Special Trains to Run Between Puri and Bangalore

 Trains, Travel  No Responses »
Sep 132011
 
puri banglore garib rath

The East Coast Railway has decided to start Garib Rath Weekly Express Special trains between Puri and Bangalore to handle the extra rush of passengers, as per the following timings, stoppages and composition, according to a Railway press release.

Train No 08469 Puri-Bangalore City Garib Rath Weekly Express Special will depart Puri at 2.30 pm on Friday, from September 16 to December 30 and arrive at Bangalore City at 10.45 pm the next day. On its return, Train No 08470 Bangalore City-Puri Garib Rath Weekly Express Special will depart Bangalore City at 11.55 pm on Saturday, from September 17 to December 31, and arrive at Puri at 5.50 am on Monday.

Enroute, the special train will stop at Khurda Road, Balugaon, Brahampur, Palasa, Srikakulam Road, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Duvvada, Vijayawada, Guntur, Donakonda, Markapur, Nandyal, Dronachallam, Dharmavaram, Sri Satyasai Prashanti Nilayam, Hindupur, Yelahanka, and at Bangalore Cantonment.

The Garib Rath Weekly Express Special Train has a total of 17 coaches, comprising 15 AC 3-tier coaches and two motor cars.

 Posted by at 5:44 pm  Tagged with:

UK Borders Agency suspends student visas from India, Nepal, Bangladesh

 Travel, Visa  1 Response »
Feb 012010
 

The UK Immigration Service, now known as “UK Borders Agency” has suspended the applications process for student visas from northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh after a dramatic upsurge in numbers and allegations of fraud.

The suspension will remain in place for at least one month while a backlog of applications is processed – but that period will be extended if necessary. During that time, applications will become subject to much greater scrutiny.

The problem appears to originate in the UK’s adoption of a points-based system which grants visas to anyone who can prove they have taken a place at a UK educational establishment.

There are several hundred universities and recognised places of higher education but they are not, it appears, what is fuelling a boom which has seen applications – and grants – soar by more than six and a half times in the past year.

The Borders Agency has noticed a problem that has existed for years, but has usually been used by Eastern Europeans and Africans in relatively small numbers: small tuition businesses that take on foreign students are commonplace, particularly language schools.

 Posted by at 7:57 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Tourism sector in India during October 2009

 Tourism, Travel  2 Responses »
Nov 072009
 

Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from tourism on the basis of datawater-sport received from major airports. Following are the important highlights regarding these two important indicators of tourism sector.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)

  • FTAs during the Month of October 2009 were 4.48 lakh as compared to FTAs of 4.53 lakh during the month of October 2008 and 4.45 lakh in October 2007.
  • There has been a decline of 0.9% in FTAs in October 2009 over October 2008. However, there has been an improvement vis-a-vis the growth rate of (-) 4.1% observed in September 2009 over September 2008.
  • FTAs during January – October 2009 at 40.23 lakh were lower as compared to 43.24 lakh in January – October 2008.
  • The growth rate in FTAs during Jan-Oct 2009 (-7.0%) marginally improved as compared to the growth rate during Jan-Sep, 2009 (-7.7%).

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from Tourism in Indian Rupee terms and US $ terms

  • FEE during the month of October 2009 were Rs. 4806 crore as compared to Rs.4248 crore in October 2008.
  • FEE during January – October 2009 were Rs.42395 crore as compared to Rs. 40712 crore in January – October 2008.
  • FEE in US $ terms during the month of October 2009 were US $ 1028 million as compared to US $ 873 million in October 2008.
  • FEE during January – October 2009 were US$ 8699 million as compared to US$ 9696 million during January – October 2008.
  • The growth rate in FEE in Rs. term during January-October,2009(4.1%) registered an improvement over the growth rate during January-September,2009 (3.1%) .
  • The growth rate in FEE in US$ terms during January-October 2009 (-10.3%) also improved over the growth rate during January-September 2009 (-13.1%).
 Posted by at 8:01 am  Tagged with: ,

Improved Connectivity for Easier Travel in Golden Triangle

 Policy, Travel  No Responses »
Oct 292009
 

To improve the connectivity between the mega tourist destination/ circuits,Agra a pilot project on seamless travel will be undertaken on the golden triangle tourist circuit (Jaipur-Delhi-Agra) from 1st December 2009. In a meeting held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Shri Brahm Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, it was decided that vehicles registered in one state would collect tax on behalf of the three other states lying on the circuit. Thus, Delhi will collect tax on behalf of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Likewise, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh would collect taxes for themselves and two other states and Haryana (which is on transit). This would prevent harassment and undue time delay faced by commercial tour operators. Tax would be collected a day or two in advance. A formatted sticker, designed by Ministry of Tourism, will be issued to the vehicles indicating the period for which the permit will be valid. The scheme would be valid only for the tour operators authorized by the Ministry of Tourism. Those misusing the permit would be de-registered by the Ministry of Tourism. Continue reading »

 Posted by at 5:57 am  Tagged with:
“If we were to look over the whole world to find out the country most richly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty which nature can bestow- in some parts a veritable paradise on Earth- I should point to India. If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choices gifts- I should point to India.”

- Max Muller
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