Destinations worldwide have increasingly moved to lift visa requirements as part of their strategy to increase visitor numbers — visa processing delays are a major obstacle to the industry’s full recovery.
30.11.2023 - 16:45 / forbes.com
For years, business travelers have enjoyed benefits generally unavailable to personal travelers. In a way this makes sense: with revenues running in the billions and strong international demand for their goods and services, the world’s largest corporations have both the need and the ability to get around the world in a pinch.
Certainly, booking a flight overseas is easier now than ever for vacationers of all income levels. The tools formerly exclusive to travel agents are now available online in your pocket. Flying abroad entails more than simply buying a plane ticket, however. What lies in the marginal difference between the best website for international leisure travelers and its corporate equivalent?
Plenty, says Raksa Nazryk, the Chief Product Officer for Entriva, a one-stop shop for every logistical hassle an international traveler might encounter.
“Our focus is, what do I need to leave my country,” Nazryk said, “and get into Country X?’
Entriva’s website, which formally launched in October, facilitates everything but the plane ticket itself: obtaining travel documents (whichever visas and passports are necessary for your trip), understanding real-time entry requirements (think vaccination policies), and providing any other information needed to accommodate any travel restrictions to your destination country.
Perhaps the best part ― the part corporate travelers are already accustomed to ― is that once you’ve manually input your personal information for one country’s document or application, Entriva’s website can auto-fill that same information for every subsequent country you plan to visit. Given the complexity of many visa applications, that’s an incredible time-saver.
Entriva is essentially a consumer adaptation of CIBT, whose corporate product has helped issue more than 2.1 million visas over the last five years. CIBT says it has provided travel and immigration services for 75% of Fortune 500 companies, business travelers, global travel management companies and high-touch clientele.
Entriva’s launch comes at a time when global entry restrictions related to COVID-19 have loosened. That helps explain why international travel is booming, up more than 200 percent from 2022 to 2023 according to AAA. The global luxury travel market is estimated to have expanded from $1.3 to $1.4 billion from 2022 to 2023, and will expand again in 2024 to an estimated $1.5 billion.
Purchasing visas and other documents from Entriva is open to all, but the luxury traveler figures to benefit the most. As an end-to-end clearinghouse for all the paperwork required by various countries, it’s assumed you have the means to spend some money on your next flight.
“Let’s say you’re planning a trip to India, and then you decide
Destinations worldwide have increasingly moved to lift visa requirements as part of their strategy to increase visitor numbers — visa processing delays are a major obstacle to the industry’s full recovery.
Just 75 miles north of bustling San Francisco, and surrounded by Napa Valley and Sonoma County’s world-class vineyards, Calistoga is home to geothermal hot springs, wellness resorts, and mud baths featuring volcanic ash and natural peat. There’s hiking that ends at a mineral pool at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, and, of course, incredible dining and drinking experiences with a local focus. An escape for a weekend getaway or longer to one of the many wellness resorts here is the perfect way to return home completely refreshed. It’s no wonder Calistoga is Matador’s Wellness Award winner.
In a move aimed at boosting tourism and the economy, Indonesia is exploring the possibility of offering visa-free entry to Indians along with 19 other countries, including the U.S., China, Australia, South Korea, Germany, Britain, and France.
Like exercise, flossing and college, travel has long been held up as an incontrovertible good — an essential part of the modern human experience. Lately, though, there’s been some pushback from the smart set, if not the jet set.
In November, the average daily international passenger traffic surged by 8.4% month-on-month, reaching 198.5 million. This significant increase marks the beginning of the inbound travel season, as indicated by data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The escalation of extreme weather events and environmental emergencies, coupled with the alarming decline in global biodiversity, will pose unparalleled challenges to multiple industries. This pressing landscape necessitates that organizations in the travel and hospitality sector move beyond mere regulatory compliance to adopt proactive, sustainable practices.
dnata Travel experts continuously monitor trends and work with long-standing international partners to offer exclusive rates and added extras for the local market, alongside the latest in travel inspiration.
Proper planning of all movements and accommodation booking will create good conditions for relaxation.
The Food Park, which spans 1,770 square metres and is located airside, accommodates up to 700 guests. With a strong sense of place and serving a wide variety of food options, the park is expected to appeal to those working at the airport as well as travellers.
Even before Sri Lanka included India in the list of nations that will get free visas, it was among the most preferred destinations for Indian families, along with Sharjah in United Arab Emirates. A report from online travel agency Cleartrip chronicles what, how and which destinations were trending between July and September 2023. Domestically, Goa, Gurugram, and Chandigarh were the preferred non-metro destinations.
Compelling books on travel inspire readers to not only learn about destinations and cultures across the globe, but also, lock in that bucket list trip they’ve been dreaming about. As most travelers can attest, exploring a new locale keeps the brain sharp, curiosities peaked, and humanity intact. Much may be gleaned through reading the memoirs, poems, and true tales of adventurers; seeing beautiful photography; and following writers down the rabbit hole, through verdant valleys, and up and over mountain peaks.
Demand for U.S. visas from Indian travelers are at record highs. But 500-day wait times or longer continue to hinder travel to the U.S.