Maybe India do want UK tourism after all?

A few weeks ago it was announced the India were becoming a lot more strict on the process for British Citizens applying for a Visa.

It had been decided that as of March 14th 2015, Brits wishing to travel to India must first visit one of the fourteen new visa application centres around the UK where they will be fingerprinted in order to receive their visa.

Before visiting a centre, visa applicants would be required to book an appointment online however there was no guarantee that family members or groups of friends who were also planning to travel would receive an appointment on the same date or time.

You can read the full story here.

Due to widespread outrage, it seems the process has now been relaxed as the Indian High Commission have managed to outsource the Visa issuing process.

Now, anyone wishing to visit India will be able to apply for a Visa either by post or making an appointment to appear in person.  They have stated that anyone looking to obtain a vIsa should apply as soon as possible as applications will take two to three weeks to be processed.

VFS, the company now handling issuing visas, recommends making sure you have the correct visa before travelling; “All applicants are advised to book their travel plan upon obtaining the appropriate visa. VFS will not be responsible for any loss for any bookings made in anticipation of obtaining a visa.”

A spokeswoman for ABTA has said; “We welcome the news that they have now decided to include an option for British holidaymakers to apply for visas to India by post rather than having to do so in person. It is still very important that holidaymakers familiarise themselves with any visa requirements before booking their travel arrangements and ensure that they allow sufficient time for a successful application.”

I think this is much better as the process they were planning to implement was ridiculous and put a lot of people off of travelling to India altogether! What are your thoughts?