US President Barrack Obama has signed an executive order (G.O.) recently, easing the norms for sanctioning US Visas to the tourists. It is mainly intended to attract the tourists especially from developing countries like India and China, which stood first and second in tourists visit to US.
America is expecting at least 14% growth in the tourists' inflow in next five years. James W Herman, the in-charge of counseling affairs in US Embassy in India has said "The decision will surely increase the inflow of tourists into our country. We have been taking all measures to ease the process for sanctioning US Visas to tourists. We have already increased 6% staff in our US consulates in India and also opened two new consulates at Hyderabad and Mumbai cities. We have also made several changes to reduce the waiting period for Visas in our offices. Majority of our tourists are from India. So, we are trying to ease the process of Visa sanctioning to Indians. India stood in 2nd place in working visas and student visas. We have allotted 68 thousands of H1b Visas during the last year and sorted out 7 lakhs Visa application in India alone. So, we give India utmost priority in granting Visas," said Herman.
2012/5/5 4:02:45 Hyderabad, May 5 (INN): In order to attract large number of foreign tourists to India, there is a need to develop Buddhist and other circuits with quality facilities in the country, a top government official said here on Saturday.
“If we can develop circuits based on the connectivity with logistics and with quality facility for tourists, we can attract a large number of tourists, particularly from Japan, Thailand and other Far East countries,” said R H Khawja, Secretary Tourism, Government of India. He was speaking after inaugurating a special exhibition on Buddhist paintings and Buddhist heritage at Paryatak Bhavan here.
Centre has been emphasising on the development of special niche tourism circuits like Buddhist, Jain, Sufi circuits amongst others, he said and pointed out that there have been a lot of requests from different countries on improving the quality of infrastructure that would help in developing Buddhist circuits in the country.
Khawja also underlined the need to adopt standard operating procedure and asked those associated with the tourism sector, to develop a sense of professionalism in their approach to enable better services.
According to the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Special Chief Secretary Chandana Khan, the State Tourism Department has developed Buddhist circuits at Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam that highlight the Buddhist heritage of the state.
Chandrabau Naidu who made a personal appearance at the US embassy in Chennai has been granted visa to visit the US. Babu spent about five minutes at the embassy. He has been given a visa for 10 years. His visa has expired and he applied for a fresh visa. Babu is visiting the US for about 10 days. He will leave Hyderabad on June 26. He is expected to take part in the TANA conference during his visit.
2011/9/23 8:54:15 Worried by continuing slide in the international students' numbers, the Australian government has decided to relax visa norms further.
The decision has coincided with former New South Wales minister Michael Knight's report that calls for loosening the onerous immigration requirements for international students.
The government has accepted all 41 recommendations made by the 'Knight Review'. These recommendations include similar assessment level for all international students regardless of their country of passport. The students would also need to show A$36,000 less to get Australian student visa.
The rising Australian dollar and global financial crisis have dealt a serious blow to the universities and vocational education colleges in the country as international students, especially from India and China, have started shunning Australia.
"The university and vocational education sectors have been concerned for some time that the visa system was making them uncompetitive in what is stiff competition among provider nations," Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans said Thursday.
"They were wanting to make sure our visa system was allowing them to compete on an equal basis," the minister added.
The changes proposed by the Labor government include a more streamlined visa process for international students coming down under for higher studies. This would mean easing financial criteria. International students are now required to prove they have sufficient funds to finance their studies and living expenses in Australia upfront.
The proposed changes would also see introduction of a new work visa for international students. There are speculations that this work visa could be something similar to the ones offered by Canada and New Zealand to international students once they have finished their studies.
The post-studies work visa is likely to be of two to four years' validity depending upon the level of studies completed by the international student in Australia.
While the financial requirements would be relaxed considerably, the onus would be on the student to establish they are genuine students and have plans to return to home country after finishing the studies.
"It's not enough to be genuine about your studies and have no intention of going home, nor is it enough to be genuine about going home but not serious about your studies," Michael Knight said while speaking in a press conference in Canberra Thursday.
The assessment levels which decide financial requirements for various countries have been the major impediment for students from countries like India and China as they are classified as "high risk" countries. The higher assessment levels also mean students have to show much more funds in the bank accounts before student visa could be issued.
"Our consultations found that the financial requirements for student visas were too onerous, so we are reducing the financial requirements for some applicants, with students now needing around $36,000 less in the bank when applying for a visa," Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said in a statement accompanying the report's release. (IANS)
2011/9/27 8:39:02 Aerial tourism is now a reality in Hyderabad. If you can afford to spend nearly Rs 3,000, then you can have an aerial tour of the city's famous tourists spots for 15-minutes.
The AP Tourism Development Corporation in association with the Deccan Aviation Private Limited has launched helicopter services which would take the tourists on a 15-minute ride to the tourism spots. They include Golconda, Falaknuma, Chowmohalla Palace, Birla Mandir, Buddha Statue and the Hi-tech City.
According to Col (Retd) M S Sehgal, Executive Pilot and Base Manager, the helicopter would carry six people in each round and each of them would be charged Rs 2950. There will be no fare for the children below two years. However, the tourists will not be able to capture their visit in camera due to DGCA norms.
Talking to reporters, Col Shegal said that the interested tourists could come to the helipad near Snow World at Lower Tank Bund. They will also have to carry a photo ID card, as per the DGCA norms.
The services were launched by Tourism Minister Vatte Vasanth Kumar at Begumpet Airport here on Tuesday. GHMC Mayor Banda Kartika Reddy and APTDC MD Sandeep Kumar Sultania were also present.
Earlier, the Tourism Minister also flagged off Open Top City Tourism Buses at Charminar. Speaking to media persons, the Minister said that the APTDC has also launched transit tourism for the passengers of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. He said passengers would be taken on the city tour of about three to four hours which would include visit to places like the Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Purani Haveli and Golconda Fort. Fare for each passenger would be Rs 475 and A/c Qualis vehicles have been engaged for the services.
The minister said that the government was also trying to get approval from the Centre for the aerial tourism of water bodies which would include Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar, Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam and other water bodies. (INN)
Former chief minister and TDP chief Chandra Babu Naidu will wait for his turn like ordinary mortals for a visa at the US embassy in Chennai. Chandra Babus visa has expired and he needs a fresh visa to go to the US in the last week of June. Chandra Babu Naidu was exempted from physical appearance at the US Embassy all theses years in his capacity as the Chief Minister.
The US embassy normally waives the rule of personal appearance for certain categories of people like chief ministers. It would be a new experience for Babu, who is attending an interview for visa. Babu has rubbed shoulders with non other than the then US president Bill Clinton when he came to Hyderabad. Babu as the chief minister had issued recommendation letters to the US Embassy requesting visas for many people including party legislators. He even saw to it that his personal staff was not required to go to Chennai for a visa while he was in power.
However, it is learnt that Chandra Babu did not seek an exemption to make a personal appearance at the embassy for the visa. If he had sought permission, he would surely have been granted the privilege.
The fake visa scam and the issue of actress Asha Saini being arrested for trying to smuggling out a girl by claiming her to be her make up artist has sent shockwaves in Tollywood. Many top producers and director are also said to be involved in this. Mallikarjuna Rao said to the media that some time back a delegation of about 20 artists went to the US to take part in TANA conference.
AVS tried to include his brother in the delegation as an astrologer. The US consulate did not issue a visa to him stating that the services of an astrologer were not needed in a cultural team. AVS now wants to know what this has to do with the visa scam.
2007/11/21 10:09:00 After getting a big shock with the CAG report, the state government went on the defensive yesterday. But the government has now made a U turn and has now decided to brazen it out.
Ministers Rosiah and Ponnala have started claiming that the CAG report was only recommendatory in nature. They now say that it is not binding and that many of the facts and figures in the report are not correct and even misleading. Ponnala says that the new norms in the tender process have made the earlier norms redundant. The new norms have not been taken into account by CAG.
2008/3/14 8:11:11 The issue of fake visa and the smuggling of people, in the name of artists and technicians has taken a big twist. The US consulate officials state that there are some very big names in the list of 200 people who have been banned from entering into the US forever.
A big producer, a leading hero and also a leading comedian are said to be in the list that is in the possession of the investigating agencies in Chennai. The gossip in film nagar is now about the identity of these three people. Many names are coming out but no one is yet to come out on record. Till then, the suspense over the names of the big fish involved in the fake visa racket will remain under wraps.
2008/3/14 12:58:37 The issue of fake visa and the smuggling of people, in the name of artists and technicians has taken a big twist. The US consulate officials state that there are some very big names in the list of 200 people who have been banned from entering into the US forever.
A bit producer, a leading hero and also a leading comedian are said to be in the list that is in the possession of the investigating agencies in Chennai. The gossip in film nagar is now about the identity of these three people. Many names are coming out but no one is yet to come out on record. Till then, the suspense over the names of the big fish involved in the fake visa racket will remain under wraps.
A petition, filed before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court here has sought a ban on the release of Rohan Sippy's forthcoming movie 'Dum Maro Dum', which has raised much stink in the tourist state.
Savio Rodrigues, a media professional, who moved the Court has pleaded that the release of the movie should be banned as it will have a ripple effect on the state's tourism.
The petitioner has also said that the movie portrays Goa as a destination of sex, drugs and easy availability of women.
"The film is scheduled to be released on April 22, 2011 and given its publicity by the producers, the film will attract criminal minded tourists and offenders and drive away decent travelers and tourists from Goa," the petitioner said.
The bench will hear the petition on Thursday. It names State Chief Secretary, Chairperson Central Board of film certification, M/s Fox Star studios Pvt Ltd and M/s Ramesh Sippy Entertainment as the respondents.
Rodrigues said the movie is against public order, decency and morality and there is clear violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution of India to Goans.
The petitioner also stated that over a period of years, Goa has been receiving negative global publicity on account of issues relating to drugs, sex and murder in some cases of international tourists.
"Goa has been portrayed in media and in the said movie in particular so as to depict it as destination of drugs and sex, both of which are claimed to be easily and freely available in this state," it adds.
This wrong depiction is attracting and shall attract persons who are drug addicts, paedophiles, sex offenders, drug traffickers and persons engaged in trafficking of children and women, he claimed.
Former tourism minister Fransisco Pacheco also raised the issue during the ongoing state legislative assembly session.
Goa tourism minister Nilkant Halarnkar had told the House that the government will 'seriously' take up the issue with the producer.
2011/9/2 3:10:48 Visa related services will soon be available in post offices -- in remote areas.
India Post Friday said it has signed an agreement with VFS Global to provide the services. VFS Global is a leading outsourcing firm providing administrative functions for diplomatic missions across the world.
The agreement was signed Aug 8.
Under the pact, post office counters will be used for fee collection, sell visa application forms, provide information and other services.
India Post and VFS Global are also planning to cooperate in utilizing India Post?s courier service, Speed Post for moving passports to VFS offices and embassies, and their delivery back to the applicants.
Currently people from smaller cities and rural areas travel long distances to avail passport and visa services.
Lack of information is a major area of concern as this allows unscrupulous elements to cheat unsuspecting people. (IANS)
2011/10/18 3:04:41 The recent denial of visa to the Dalai Lama by the South African government has been dragged to courts here.
In an affidavit before the Western Cape High Court, representatives of the Tibetan spiritual leader in South Africa said the country's High Commission in New Delhi had declined to accept a visa application on his behalf on two occasions.
Then on the third occasion, the application was directed to a private processing agency. Since a reply to the request for visa was not forthcoming, the Dalai Lama eventually cancelled his visit.
He had been invited to attend the 80th birthday celebrations of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu in Cape Town Oct 7. He was also scheduled to speak at other engagements.
Indian officials accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said this matter, however, will not come up during his discussions with his host and South African President Jacob Zuma, since New Delhi considers it an internal matter of Pretoria.
Mumbai, April 22 (IANS) Singer Sonu Nigam, who was due to perform at London's O2 arena Sunday, is disappointed after he had to cancel his visit following visa issues.
Nigam was due to share stage with Pakistani singer Atif Alsam at Dhamaka Bollywood Concert London 2012, but had to pull out after his group members failed to get visas.
"Disappointed and enraged to inform everyone that I'm not coming to London. Hard to believe that except my visa, not a single visa for my group was done. Never happened in 20 years of overseas travel," Nigam tweeted.
"Don't know whom to blame. Our entire team's time and repute has been wasted. Only if the show is postponed now to another date, would we be vindicated. Prayers everyone," he further posted.
2012/3/24 0:48:58 Maoists have kidnapped MLA Zinna Hikaka belongs to Biju Janatadal party in Koraput district in Orissa two days ago. They have also kidnapped 2 Italian tourists few days ago. Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sent two ministers to Koraput to negotiate with Maoists for releasing the foreign tourists and MLA.
The Visakha Urban Development Corporation has flouted all norms and constructed a high rise building. The building doesnt have the minimum fire safety measures in place.
And Vuda is not the only one that has flouted the fire safety norms. The Fire department says that about 100 high-rise structures in Visakhapatnam have flouted the fire safety norms.
2012/2/12 7:51:31 The family members of Jangam Praveen Reddy, the city youth who has been stabbed in London, have been granted UK visa.
Praveen, who was doing MBA from London School of Business, was critically stabbed on Friday night in the Newham borough of London.
Praveen's brother Jayashankar Reddy told reporters here on Sunday that the family members have been granted UK visa and they were rushing to London. He said Praveen was still critical, but there has been an improvement in his condition. Earlier on Saturday, Foreign Minister SM Krishna spoke to Praveen's father Sudhakar Reddy and assured him of all help from the Centre. Krishna also spoke to acting High Commissioner in the UK Rajesh Prasad asking him to extend all possible help to Praveen's family.
Meanwhile, three Indians have reportedly been arrested on the charges of attempt to murder. However, the motive behind the incident was not yet known. (INN)
2012/1/22 8:58:07 Mumbai, Jan 22 (IANS) Bollywood megastar and Gujarat brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, who previously promoted areas like Kutch and Dwarka, is now set to attract tourists to other picturesque spots in the state.
“In serene quietness of Gujarat is Bhuj. The welcome and hospitality of the people, as always, extraordinary,” the 69-year-old posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com Sunday.
“Bhuj airfield under repair, so the jet cannot land there, hence landing in Mundra, the private airfield of the business group Adani, who has built the third largest, soon to become the largest port in India,” he wrote on his way for the shoot of the latest ad.
Bachchan, who so far promoted the Kutch region, Dwarka, Somnath and Gir National Park, has been all praise for the development in Gujarat and said the state is worth visiting again and again.
“The day starts early tomorrow and starts at the Rann of Kutch, the white desert where a tent city has been put up for tourists to enjoy the moment,” he posted.
“And subsequently I should be visiting and shooting at all the areas that had got left behind the last time round… A region so close to home yet so diverse in so many ways.
“The clothing the language the food the environment, everything. But all Indian,” he added.
He once said that if the Gujarat government planned a documentary to showcase the state, he would like to be a part of it.
2011/10/21 4:32:18 The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has decided to provide 10 per cent discount on transport cost of all package tours booked from October 20 to December 21 for the benefit of the tourists.
According to APTDC Executive Director (Projects) B Srinivas, presently the corporation has been operating package tours through its coaches to different destinations within and outside the State of Andhra Pradesh. In order to promote tourism in the State, the corporation has decided to give discount.
Tourists have been asked to avail the discount facility and patronize the services of the corporation.
The tourists can book seats of package tours through on-line reservation system by logging into website www.aptdc.in, reservation counters of APTDC, all e-Seva centres in Hyderabad and at Authorised Booking Agents of APTDC. (INN)
Saif Ali Khan not refused visa, say festival organisers
2006/12/13 4:55:55 Organisers of the ongoing Sixth Kara Film Festival Tuesday denied suggestions that Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan was denied visa by the Pakistan government.
Khan was not coming because of the clash with his shooting schedule, a spokesman of the festival was quoted as saying, rejecting the "notion" that the visa had been denied to him.
Khan, along with many of the artists of "Omkara", were expected to be present at next Saturday's screening of the film that is based on Shakespeare's "Othello."
Media reports here did not mention why Khan's non-arrival had been attributed to denial of visa, a frequent occurrence in India and Pakistan when non-official visits are exchanged.
This would have been Saif's second visit to Pakistan, the first one being a charitable event last year for which he had accompanied Malaika Arora and Sushmita Sen.
The arrival of Ajay Devgun and other star cast would be known only 48 hours before the special screening, the organizers said.
Vishal Bhardwaj, the director of Omkara, is expected to make an appearance along with the stars.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who is the festival's ambassador and a regular, his brother Mukesh and some other Bollywood film personalities have attended the festival that has had many Indian films screened this year.
Britain has drawn up a map featuring dozens of its locations used by directors of 30 Bollywood hits to attract more Indian tourists to London and the rest of UK.
The tourism body, VisitBritain, will launch the map this week ahead of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), regarded as Bollywood's Oscars, ceremony to be held in Yorkshire from June 7 for four days.
The map will be handed out to stars and movie moguls at the IIFA awards ceremony. In addition, more than 30,000 copies of the map will be distributed in India where VisitBritain has set up a film tourism office.
Among the less well-known attractions included in the map are an obscure Surrey football ground and a Slough shopping centre. Molesey FC featured in scenes from the NRI film director Gurinder Chadha's 'Bend It Like Beckham', the story of a daughter of orthodox Sikhs battling to realise her dream to be footballer, while Slough's Queensmere centre provided the backdrop for the 2001 Bollywood movie 'Yaadein'.
Other unusual attractions on the map include Bicester Village shopping centre in Oxfordshire, which featured in the 2001 film 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,' and Dolbadarn Castle in north Wales, used in 'Kyun! Ho Gaya Na' in 2004.
More traditional tourist attractions, including Windsor Castle, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge and Princes Street in Edinburgh, also feature.
"Some 23 million Indians go to see a film every day and you only have to look at the figures to see that more and more of them are being inspired to visit Britain," said Tom Wright, the Chief Executive of VisitBritain.
"Britain's popularity as a Bollywood backdrop can only help us raise our profile among this growing audience and we are confident that this campaign will help them to see it as Bollywood Britain."
The number of Indians visiting Britain rose by 25 per cent last year, spending 294 million pounds. And Indian tourists spent more than tourists from Japan in London for the first time last year.
According to a report in 'The Sunday Telegraph' on Sunday, several of the films on the map feature Shahrukh Khan, popularly known as King Khan in India. He is supporting VisitBritain's initiative.
"I have always loved filming in Britain and hope to do more shoots here in the future," Khan, whose waxwork image was unveiled at Madame Tussauds here last month, said.
"I know that lots of Indians are already coming here on holiday, but we have such a passion for Bollywood films that by making this link I'm sure that it will attract even more."
Some films such as 'Namastey London' and 'Bride and Prejudice', were filmed almost entirely in Britain because sequences shot overseas are particularly attractive to Indian cinema-goers.
The number of Bollywood movies shot in London has quadrupled over the past five years, from 10 in 2001 to 40 last year. A further 160 films were shot at locations across Britain.
Monika Mohta, Director, Nehru Centre and Minister for Culture at the Indian High Commission, feels that using Britain's association with Bollywood will prove successful.
"Indians will go to see the same movie countless times, so sights such as Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace become very familiar, virtually embedded in their minds," she said.
"Tower Bridge is in practically every second Bollywood film. Many cinema-goers aspire to be able to say that they've been to the same places as their icons."
Worried by continuing slide in the international students' numbers, the Australian government has decided to relax visa norms further.
Visa related services will soon be available in post offices -- in remote areas.
The recent denial of visa to the Dalai Lama by the South African government has been dragged to courts here.
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has decided to provide 10 per cent discount on transport cost of all package tours booked from October 20 to December 21 for the benefit of the tourists.
