Working on cheaper visas, lesser air fares: Shripad Naik

Panaji: Efforts are being made to control escalating air fares during the holiday season and to slash visa rates in order to compete with cheaper tourism destinations, Tourism Minister Shripad Naik said Saturday.
The union minister of state for tourism (independent charge) was referring to cheaper destinations in South East Asia, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a tourism-related event on the outskirts of Panaji.
Asked if the government was working on ways to rein in escalating air fares to sought after beach tourism destinations like Goa during peak holiday season, Naik said the ministry was "trying to control the air fares".

E-visas, travel sops for high-flyers

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the introduction of electronic visas (e-visas), creation of heritage and religious theme-based tourism circuits and financial support for the development of a convention centre in Goa in his maiden Budget speech on Thursday. The government has also enhanced duty-free allowance for Indians returning from abroad to Rs 45,000 from Rs 35,000.

The minister announced the development of new airports in Tier-I and -II cities but gave no relief to the aviation sector in terms of lower taxes on jet fuel. Air India received an additional infusion of Rs 1,000 crore above the Rs 5,500 crore commited in the interim Budget in February.

The government said no custom duty will be payable on aircraft engines imported for repair and maintenance by airlines.

Proposal to introduce e-visas will boost aviation sector, says Sajid Khan of South African Airways

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's proposal to introduce e-visas in a phased manner at nine airports complements the government's expansion of the visa on arrival scheme announced earlier this year, said Sajid Khan, Country Manager(India), South African Airways.

Expressing pleasure over the initiatives taken by the government, Khan said, "Over the last year, the Indian government has made some significant moves to abet the growth of the travel industry.
It will help create a more robust tourism sector and we welcome the move."