VISA tips

Nearly 80% of people across Asia don’t want to travel with any cash to their destination, according to Prateek Sanghi, head of Visa Consulting and Analytics for Asia Pacific. 

Indian Gen Z and Millennials prefer to travel in the off-peak season to avoid crowds and reduce costs, according to a report by online visa application platform Atlys.

India’s Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) has entered into a three-year partnership with global payments gateway Visa. The agreement is valued at around $1 million, with the aim to skill at least 20,000 youth for tourism-related jobs, according to the ministry of skill development. 

Over 80% of Indians have either had or are planning a destination wedding, a survey conducted by search aggregator Skyscanner showed. This preference is strongest among Gen Z, with about 50% of that group indicating that they are considering a destination wedding. This figure is 33% among Millennials. 

Sri Lanka is set to launch a six-month pilot program on October 1, offering free 30-day tourist visas on arrival to citizens from 35 countries, including the U.S., UK, Russia, India and China. The initiative, which temporarily waives the typical $50 visa fee, aligns with the island nation’s peak travel season, lasting from December to mid-April. This move is part of a broader strategy to revitalize tourism, a sector crucial to Sri Lanka’s economy.

What can India and U.S. do to boost tourism? According to the first Indo-U.S. Tourism and Hospitality Summit held by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in Delhi on Friday, the answer is speedier visas and more direct flights.

Once considered beneficial to a community, digital nomads have become unwelcome in many areas of Europe, accused of aggravating gentrification and pricing out the local population. 

Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Saniya Zanpure, Skift’s research analyst, as they dive into the Skift Travel Health Index (STHI) — a tool that tracks and measures the performance of various travel sectors. They explore why the travel industry in 2024 is mirroring 2023, with insights into the factors driving this stability. Plus, they look at India’s rise as a major player in global travel and find out what’s fueling this rapid growth.

After years of speculation Italy finally launched a brand new digital nomad visa in April this year. It allows remote workers to stay in the country for up to a year.

India’s tourism industry is undergoing a significant transformation. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) projects the outbound travel market to reach $55.4 billion by 2034. At the core of this boom is India’s expanding middle class, driving both domestic and international travel as disposable incomes rise.

India now allows nationals from Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates to get a visa-on-arrival for tourism, business, conferences, and medical purposes. The visa will be valid for 60 days, and travelers will be able to visit India up to two times during that period. 

Singapore has been recrowned as the country with the world’s most powerful passport in 2024.

The next U.S. president is going to preside over the one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and can influence how many travelers from abroad can come to the U.S.

South Korea’s tourism industry is experiencing a significant revival. The country welcomed 7.7 million foreign arrivals in the first half of the year, a 74% increase from the same period in 2023.

Turkish tourists are flocking to Greece as inflation makes it too expensive to travel within Turkey.

Paytm started as a financial services company in India, but is now diversifying its revenue streams, with a special focus on travel. The fintech company often refers to itself as an online travel agency and is looking at travel as a core business segment.

The Indian hotels industry signed a total of 146 branded hotels between January and May this year. This was up from 110 branded hotels signed during the same period last year. More than 14,000 keys are now under development, a monthly report by hospitality advisory services firm HVS Anarock showed.

Indonesia is planning to introduce visa-free entry for tourists from 20 nations, including India. The country’s tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, has announced that the policy is in the works and it will be finalized before October this year. The move aims to boost international tourism in Indonesia, Uno said. 

Between January and May 2024, India has emerged as the second-largest international source market – not including Canada and Mexico – for tourism in the U.S., according to data released by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). 

India’s leading financial services company Paytm has partnered with travel aggregators Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Wego to enhance its travel segment offerings. 

Taiwan has announced that it is “actively considering” extending visa-on-arrival for Indian travelers, deputy foreign minister Tien Chung-kwang said this week.