Visas tips

The first time that Eric Garcetti stayed at the U.S. Embassy in India was during his college years. A friend’s father had been appointed the U.S. Ambassador, and Garcetti was invited to join on a trip. He had no idea that the embassy would become his home years later.

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A job ad posted by Neom suggests the Saudi development could be working on its own e-visa program for travelers and residents. Neom is a flagship project from the Saudi Arabian crown prince – a $500 billion development.

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Dubai Tourism CEO Issam Kazim joked that Dubai is an Indian city.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, March 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

The percentage of people required to have a traditional visa for international travel is decreasing, according to a recently published report by UN Tourism.

Indian nationals now receive a pre-approved visa on arrival when landing in Dubai, provided they fly in with Emirates. Emirates is the city’s national carrier and one of the world’s largest airlines, and currently serves nine destinations in India with 167 weekly flights.

Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have the world’s most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 countries out of 227. That’s according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index rankings released on Wednesday. 

China has simplified entry rules for U.S. citizens visiting the country on tourist visas. Starting January 1, tourist visa applicants in the U.S. will no longer be required to submit proof of round-trip air tickets, hotel reservations, itinerary or invitation letter. 

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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.

Visitors to Kenya will no longer need a visa to enter the East African nation starting in January, President William Ruto announced on Tuesday.

Wait times for first-time visitor visas in Colombia, Mexico and India stretching to hundreds of days will continue to be a headache for the U.S. travel industry. 

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Long wait times for visas and an outdated air infrastructure hobble the U.S.’s ability to attract travelers, said executives at the Skift Global Forum.

Brazil will mandate visitors from the U.S., Australia and Canada obtain an e-visa prior to entering the country starting January 10, 2024, according to Embratur, Brazil tourism’s board.

The travel spending gap between outbound American travelers and inbound international travelers amounted to $802 million in September, the third month this year with a deficit for the U.S., according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. In May and June, the U.S. also experienced a spending a gap of $800 million.

International inbound travel to the U.S. is projected to be at 63 percent and 75 percent of its pre-pandemic volume in 2022 and 2023, respectively, according to the U.S. Travel Association’s biannual forecast. At this rate, international travel won’t reach pre-pandemic levels until 2025.

The U.S. Travel Association has launched a website to highlight the negative impact of long visitor visa interview wait times—which now exceed an average of 400 days—is having on global travelers and U.S. businesses. Called USVisaDelays.com, the website lists stories of those affected, loss in industry spending, visitor wait times, impacted markets and a policy fact sheet. 

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, January 26. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.