VISA tips

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

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). 

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

If you’ve been thinking about relocating to Germany, this new work permit might be for you.

In mid-March, a scammer in California tried to buy $150 worth of Wingstop using my debit card. Aside from being impressed at the sheer size of the order, I was relieved because Citibank, which issued my card, declined the transaction on the spot and alerted me to the fraud. In minutes I was able to shut off my card, heading off any more purchases by the scammers, and order a new card. All's well that ends well.

Chinese tourists aren’t rushing to get a U.S. visitor visa like they did before the pandemic, according to a State Department official speaking Saturday at IPW, a travel trade conference focused on international inbound travel.

Visit Florida is about to jump start tourism to its overlooked hidden gems in its northwestern region. The destination marketing organization was awarded a $10.5 million grant earlier this month to promote the eight counties in that region, said Visit Florida CEO and President Dana Young.

India recorded a cruise tourism footfall of 470,000 in the 2023-24 financial year – its highest ever. Domestic tourists accounted for nearly 80% of this, as international cruise tourism in India has yet to revive to pre-Covid levels. 

Türkiye has become the latest country to launch a digital nomad visa for foreign remote workers.

The European Commission has introduced a new visa “cascade” regime for Indian nationals applying for Schengen visas in India. This regime looks to offer longer-term, multi-entry Schengen visas, based on the applicant’s travel history.

The Indian civil aviation ministry has advised domestic airlines to assess risks before flying on international routes as tensions in the Middle East are growing. The civil aviation regulatory body is working with the airlines and the ministry of external affairs to navigate the situation, civil aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam has said.

Brazil postponed reinstating its visa requirements for tourists from Australia, Canada, and the U.S. until 2025, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signing a decree that included that action on Tuesday.

Fred Dixon is going to be the president and CEO of Brand USA, America’s destination marketing organization, starting July 15. Brand USA made the announcement on Wednesday. Dixon is the CEO and president of NYC Tourism + Conventions.

U.S. Travel urges Congress to consider other critical measures to modernize the entire visa process.

Turkish travellers will now be able to visit ten Greek islands under a new scheme announced this week.

Congress has set aside $50 million for the U.S. State Department to help “reduce passport backlogs and reduce visa wait times” in a bill signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday and praised by the travel industry this week.

Australia saw a record-breaking number of arrivals from India last year.