Article from BTNews 16 APRIL 2018
Fresh plea on India visas
Renewed calls for the UK government to roll out a new UK-India visa agreement came last week from the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), along with travel and tourism businesses and organisations.
Speaking ahead of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting which starts today, Monday, in London, the parties said a new deal was needed to make the UK a more attractive destination for Indian business travellers and other visitors.
The proposed agreement would reduce the cost of a two-year visa from £388 to £89 and would allow travellers to make repeat visits within two years. This is the same agreement made with China in January 2016.
RCS director Michael Lake said: “With huge opportunities for future partnerships and growth, it is essential the UK has a visa agreement that signals to the Indian government and Indian visitors the UK is open for business.”
As well as the RCS, the campaign is being supported by Airlines UK, the Airport Operators Association, the Confederation of Indian Industry, Edwardian Hotels, the Tourism Alliance and UKInbound.
Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade said: “To truly achieve the post-Brexit vision of a ‘Global Britain’, it is critical we encourage more Indians to visit, trade and invest in the UK.”
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