As part of the “Chalo India” campaign, India is preparing to offer 100,000 visas to foreign tourists.
Speaking at an event organized by his ministry to celebrate World Tourism Day, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, India’s Minister of Tourism, announced that 100,000 foreign tourists will soon be exempt from paying visa fees.
“Gratis visas for the first 1 lakh foreigners visiting India under the #ChaloIndia campaign!,” announces the Indian Ministry of Tourism on its social networks.
Will this measure concern the electronic visa (e-Visa) or the consular visa? Details of this operation are expected to be published shortly.
This announcement echoes a similar measure implemented between 2021 and 2022, when India offered 500,000 free visas to foreign tourists. This initiative, well received at the time, was aimed at supporting the revival of tourism, one of the economic sectors most affected by health restrictions and border closures.
At the time, the objective was clear: to restore travelers’ confidence while revitalizing India’s tourism ecosystem, including hotels, airlines, tour guides and the many related trades.
Following the Prime Minister’s appeal to members of the Indian diaspora to encourage their non-Indian friends to visit India, the Ministry of Tourism launched the “Chalo India” initiative to enable members of the Indian diaspora to become ambassadors of the Incredible India.
