Thiruvananthapuram: The number of foreign tourists arriving at Thiruvananthapuram airport using the e-visa facility this year has increased by 50 percent till this month, compared to the previous year. With the onset of the tourist season, the authorities anticipate that the figures may double.
This year so far, 12,000 foreign tourists reached the airport here using the e-visa facility. Last year, the total number of foreign tourists who reached here using the facility was around 8,000.
While e-visa was available only for nationals of 113 countries till last year, now it is available for the citizens of 150 countries.
According to airport sources, the maximum number of tourists who arrived at Thiruvananthapuram airport using e-visa was from the UK (4,000). It was followed by US and German nationals, around 1,500 each. Russians, French, Ukrainians, Australians and Swedes are the others who mostly used the facility.
“We often experience the maximum rush of tourists during November–March period. Considering the present trend, we anticipate that another 12,000 tourists might be using the facility during this season,” said Mr. C. Rajan, assistant foreigners' regional registration officer.
The Tourist Visa on Arrival facility was introduced here in August 2013 for only 11 countries. It was extended to more nationals in a phased manner. Considering the increasing numbers, the emigration authorities are also planning to increase the number of e-visa counters at the airport from five to seven.
Tourists are increasingly using the e-visa facility considering its convenience. Foreigners could apply for e-visa online and will get confirmation within two days. They need not visit any Indian mission office also.
