Indians continue to suffer as ETOA issues alert on slow visa processing

NEW DELHI - With the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) condemning Cologne’s spontaneous culture tax and pointing out that European Union countries are missing out on 500 million a year in income from tourists because of visa processing problems, Schengen countries have been asked to modify their Visa Code or look into the matter with some seriousness.

In the problem of Indian context, the problem of visa processing is acute, and can often be a nightmare.

India sends nearly half a million tourists abroad, and quite a few independent travellers as distinct from group travellers skip Europe because of delays in getting a Schengen visa or a UK visa.

Indian students too are often confused about how to get a Schengen visa. It has been reported that Indians figure way down in the list of people with freedom to travel free of visa restrictions. Like most citizens of the Third World, Indians need a visa to go to any country, probably with the exception of Sri Lanka and Nepal.

They are often asked to compile and present a massive list of documents, including tickets, travel insurance, letter of employment, bank statements of the previous three months, two photographs with exact specifications, letter of invitation from a relative, friend or company and hotel bookings for surface travel in the Schengen region.

That’s not all! There is the hefty cost for procuring the visa and a bizarre rule that says you have to apply for a visa not at the embassy or country of your first point of entry, but at the embassy or country where you intend to spend the most time.

Indians often complain of applications being accepted with a rider that the visa may not be granted if rules and regulations are not followed.

All these problems vis-a-viz Indians should be addressed considering that there has been a dramatic 130 percent rise in outbound tourists from India between 2006 and 2011.

In fact, the total number of Indian tourists going abroad is set to cross the 16 million mark by 2011 or a fourth of Britain’s population. A majority would like to think that given these statistics, an easier and friendly approach towards Indians is in order.

Britain’s decision to introduce an interim limit on skilled workers from India and other countries outside the European Union has also been criticised.

Set at 24,100, the interim limit equates to a five percent reduction compared to the same period last year.

At the same time, a consulataion has been launched on the mechanisms for implementing a permanent annual limit, which is due to be introduced in April 2011.

Out of 193 countries surveyed in 2010, Indians have visa-free access to just 50 countries, while in latest visa restriction index rankings, United Kingdom topped the list with Britons having visa-free access for up to three days to the largest number of countries - 166.

Universities in Australia rely heavily on foreign student fees to keep themselves financially afloat, but over the past 18 months, a number of factors have led to a fall in the number of overseas students wanting to study in Australia.

Having earned a whopping 18 billion dollars in fiscal 2009-10, the higher education sector in Australia is now passing through a phase of deep frustration in the wake of recent government policy changes, which have contributed to the drop-off in foreign students.

The ETOA has condemned the Cologne City Council over the introduction of a new tax. The ‘culture’ tax is being levied upon hotels as of October 1 at the rate of five percent of the gross room rate.

The decision to implement the tax was taken on September 9, and this has taken the hotel and tourism industry by surprise.

Following the introduction of the new Visa Code, the ETOA launched a study into the practicalities of visa processing for the Schengen area, UK and Ireland, and implications of European inbound tourism.

The ETOA has in its new study found that in China alone, 30 percent of those planning to visit the UK give up on the application process.

The ETOA is currently collecting feedbacks from tour operators and travel agents worldwide through its Visas Survey.

The survey will offer a first view of how the new procedures are working across a broad range of origin countries and will discuss experiences.

The ETOA seminar to be held in Brussels on October 12 will discuss what the consular authorities rate best and worst and how obstacles can be improved upon. (ANI)