India to issue free 5 lakh tourist visas; give easy loans to travel agents & tour guides

印度将免费发放50万张旅游签证，并给旅行社和导游提供贷款

NEW DELHI: The first 5 lakh tourist visas issued once India allows entry to this category of visitors will be issued free of charge. And government-recognised travel agents and tour guides will now be eligible for loan of up to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively, without any processing charges or additional collateral requirement.

新德里：一旦印度允许这类游客入境，首批50万张旅游签证将免费发放。政府认可的旅行社和导游现在将分别有资格获得最高100万卢比和10万卢比的贷款，无需任何手续费和额外担保要求。

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced these steps to ensure survival of the Covid-ravaged tourism sector as part of an economic package on Monday.

联邦财政部长西塔拉曼周一宣布了这些措施，以确保受新冠疫情重创的旅游业生存下来，这是一揽子经济救济方案的一部分。

Pre-Covid 2019 saw almost 1.1 crore foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) who collectively spent $30 billion on leisure and business.

新冠疫情爆发前，印度吸纳近1100万名外国游客，在休闲和商务上的消费总额为300亿美元。

“The average daily stay for a foreign tourist in India is 21 days and their average daily spending per tourist is about $34 (Rs 2,400). Once (tourism) visa issuance resumes, the first 5 lakh tourists visas will be issued free of charge,” Sitharaman said.

西塔拉曼说：“外国游客在印度平均停留21天，平均每人每天消费约34美元(2400卢比)。一旦(旅游)签证恢复发放，首批50万游客签证将免费发放。”

This benefit will be available only once per tourist. The scheme, which forgoes Rs 100 crore revenue from this head, will be applicable till March 31, 2022 or till the first 5 lakh visas are issued.

这项优惠，每位游客只能享受一次。该计划将适用到2022年3月31日，或到首批50万签证发完为止，免除该项1000万卢比的费用。

以下是印度时报读者的评论：译者：Jessica.Wu

Guest

ELECTIONS STUNTS IN THE END NO ONE WILL GET ANYTHING

这是选举噱头，最终什么都得不到

Palyam Docs

Today is 28th June.

What elections are due for this to be a stunt ?

今天是6月28日，有什么选举？这怎么是噱头?

WB New

Free visas for upcoming polls? Makes no sense.polls or not, is useless now. Who comes up with such brilliant ideas?

免费签证？毫无意义。是谁想出了这么好的主意?

Palyam Docs

Please don't give these 5 lakh tourist visas to Bangladeshis.

It's a one way ticket for them. They will come here and get voter ID, aadhar card and everything else and never go back.

请不要把这50万旅游签证发给孟加拉国人，他们来了就不走了。他们到了印度，会拿到选民身份证、aadhar卡和其他东西，然后就再也不回去了。

WB New

That is the whole idea.

说得对，就是这样

Kolkata 97

Bangladeshis are the biggest tourist group coming to India . Deal with it .

India is not France ,Switzerland or Thailand.

Bangladesh gives huge business in medical tourism, you have no idea.

I am in Hotel Business.

你不懂，孟加拉国人是印度最大的旅游客源。印度不是法国、瑞士或泰国。孟加拉国人给医疗旅游带来了巨大的商机。我是从事酒店业的。

Nature Truth

Under feku circus, India will be worst than Bangladesh.

在莫迪的领导下，印度比孟加拉国还差了

Ian Faust

Covid is coming down, so now to bring 3rd wave, they need to import 5 lakh foreigners to come and spread Covid third wave.

新冠病例正在减少，他们却想掀起第三波，所以想引入50万外国人来掀起第三波。

WB New

True. There is this news of 4 more variants, so to spread them in our country, to enrich pharma companies, such visas are needed.

是的，有消息说又有4种变种了，为了传播这些病毒，为了让制药公司更富起来，就需要发这些签证。

Paul kenner

Nirmala the sales woman is good at telling stories , first u need to resign

西塔拉曼这个女销售员很擅长讲故事，首先得让她辞职

Canute Mathias

Tourist income is a great thing. Its good for the Forex and local business. However we lack tourist infrastructure. Ministry of Tourism should have plans to boost tourism. At the moment No vision.

增加旅游收入是一件好事，对外汇和当地行业都有好处。然而，我们缺乏旅游基础设施。旅游部应该有促进旅游业发展的计划，此刻没有。

Pkm

Coronavirus and the Delta Plus would blow away all tourism industry Worldwide

德尔塔+变种将席卷全球，打击旅游业

Nriguy

Good initiative. Actually all tourist visas must be free like in Thailand, Srilanka, singapore etc for all western countries.

好计划。事实上，对所有西方国家的旅游签证都必须是免费的，比如泰国、斯里兰卡、新加坡等。

Pkm

Coronavirus will blow away all tourist attractions.

新冠病毒将席卷所有旅游景点。

Prasen Kumar

Which tourist stake his health and life?

哪个游客会拿自己的健康和生命冒险?

WB New

Those idiots who believe in vaccines will do so.

那些相信疫苗的白痴会这么做的。

Paul kenner

PUBLIC STUNT - HAHAHA - FINALLY ALL WILL GET AN EMPTY EGG

噱头，哈哈哈，最终什么都没有

Pkm

Delta Plus would have done the damage already. Tourism and hospitality industry Worldwide have been worst hit thanks to Coronavirus

德尔塔+变种已经造成了破坏。由于新冠病毒，全球旅游业和酒店业遭受了最严重的打击

WB New

Let the idiots perish. Too many petty unethical tour agents have come up. Need to perish.

让这些白痴消失吧。太多不道德的旅行社，就该消失。

swami

Tour operators are already struggling to make ends meet. Government should have announced this a long time back.

旅行社已经无法维持收支平衡，政府早就该宣布了。

Nature Truth

Perhaps Ambani & Adoni have already enter tourism scoo up everything on dirt cheap during 2nd waves?

也许安巴尼和阿达尼已经进入旅游业，在第二波疫情中以极低的价格收购?

WB New

Tourism is covid proof?

旅游业不怕新冠？

AKHAND SINGH

Very Good Mr. Modi. This package will give some releif to all the tour operators in india, Well done

非常好，莫迪先生。这个计划能让印度的旅行社松一口气，干得好

Nature Truth

Pray tell who will visit India now when the whole world feared India like plague, banning all India flights.

全世界都怕印度，像怕瘟疫一样，禁止所有来自印度的航班入境。