The much- awaited electronic visa facility for tourists coming to India is set to launch on November 27. Visitors from 43 countries including USA, Germany, Palestine and Israel will now be able to avail the facility. The e- visa facility will be rolled out by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma. Apart from the above mentioned countries, other countries which will be able to avail the facility in the first instance include Brazil, Thailand, Ukraine, Jordan, Norway, Mauritius and UAE.

President Subhas Goyal, Indian Association of Tour Operators feels that launching of e- visa facility in India is a historic occasion for the tourism sector in the country. All technological arrangements to provide the service are ready and will become operational at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Goa international airports. Tourists who want to avail the facility will be required to apply for the same in the designated website against a nominal fee and they will be given an electronic version of the visa within 96 hours of application. This new visa system is expected to boost foreign tourist arrival in India.