Having halted tourist visas in March last year, India now allows travelers from 99 reciprocating countries to enter without quarantine. As Coronavirus infections and vaccination rates remain low across the country, India has reopened its borders for mass foreign tourism, ending a clampdown that lasted 20 months.
Following arrival, such tourists are only required to be monitored for 14 days. Indian authorities began allowing entry of tourists on chartered flights last month, and now they are also allowing it for those arriving on commercial flights starting Monday (Nov 15).
As a deadly second Covid-19 wave faded out after triggering peak infection rates of more than 400,000 cases a day in early May, many Indians have been flocking to domestic tourist spots in recent weeks, such as the west coast state of Goa and the mountainous north.
Considering the Covid-19 situation prevailing in the country, as well as the rest of the world, India suspended all visas for foreign visitors last year. As well as limiting flight numbers and creating special air bubble arrangements with countries with favourable conditions for travel, the country imposed several other restrictions on international travel.
Over a billion vaccine doses have been administered to Indians under the country’s immunisation campaign, and most have already been exposed to Covid-19 according to antibody surveys.
