Iran has declared the lifting of visa requirements for citizens of India, along with 32 other nations. This announcement comes as part of a broader trend, with several countries recently granting visa-free travel for Indian nationals.
Ezzatollah Zarghami, the Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, revealed the decision following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, emphasising its objective to enhance tourism by attracting more visitors from around the world.
Zarghami stated that the move underscores Iran’s dedication to global engagement, intending to dispel negative perceptions and address the phenomenon of ‘Iranophobia’ perpetuated by the global arrogance system.
In addition to India, Iran has extended visa-free travel privileges to citizens of 32 other countries. This list includes Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Belarus.
Prior to this, Iran had already lifted visa requirements for citizens of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.
The latest statistics reveal that the total number of tourists in Iran has surged to 4.4 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year, commencing on March 21. This marks a notable increase of 48.5 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.
Minister Zarghami also disclosed that his Ministry proposed visa-free travel to 60 countries, although the proposal did not receive complete approval.
A recent McKinsey analysis has highlighted India as having one of the fastest-growing markets for outbound tourism, with 13 million such tourists in 2022.
Joining the trend, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam have recently waived visa requirements for Indian citizens. Thailand, an economy heavily reliant on tourism, announced a visa exemption for Indian citizens from November 10 to May 10 next year, a limited period of exemption already in effect for tourists from China and Kazakhstan.
In October, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, implemented a pilot project lifting visa requirements for citizens of seven countries, including India, China, and Russia. This exemption is set to continue until March 31, 2024, aligning with the crisis-hit country’s efforts to boost tourism and achieve a target of 50 million visitors by 2026.
Currently, citizens of India enjoy visa-free entry into 27 countries. The most recent additions to this list are Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Other nations that permit Indian citizens to enter without a visa include Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, Haiti, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Samoa, and Trinidad and Tobago, among several others.
Data from the Ministry of Tourism indicates that the top five destinations for Indian citizens are the UAE, the USA, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Thailand. Notably, a significant portion of these travellers constitute diaspora tourists.
As the holiday season unfolds, there is a notable trend among Indians favouring visa-free destinations as their preferred international travel choice. According to MakeMyTrip, countries that have lifted visa requirements for Indian travellers, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and now Malaysia, have experienced a positive uptick of over 30 percent in terms of searches and bookings.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, highlighted this trend in an interview with Mint, stating, “Countries that have removed visa requirements for travellers from India, including Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and now Malaysia, have seen a 30%+ positive uptick in searches and bookings on our platform.”
Magow emphasised that this positive traction aligns with expectations, as visa-free entry, coupled with facilitating factors like the availability of direct flights, reduces hassles and costs for travellers.
He pointed out that the removal of visa requirements has had a significant impact, citing the example of Thailand, where the approximate visa cost for a family of four was Rs. 20,000. Despite Thailand already being a popular destination, the country has witnessed a boost in bookings. Magow concluded that the sustained week-on-week trends affirm the reality of the surge, which is expected to continue.
