France has now over-taken the UK as India's most visited European nation
India should be included in Britain's cheaper two-year visitor visa scheme to attract more Indians to the UK that will strengthen the already close bilateral ties, a new report released in London on Tuesday said.
'A Passage from India – Improving UK Visitor Visas for Indian Nationals' has been prepared by the UK's Royal Commonwealth Society in partnership with leading aviation tourism and industry groups as well as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and was released in the British Parliament complex.
"We hope that the government will consider the very clear benefits of our recommendation, enhancing the already close affinity between two great Commonwealth nations," said Tim Hewish, director of policy and research at the Royal Commonwealth Society and author of the report.
His report flags up the UK's falling market share of global Indian tourists, which has halved over the last decade at an estimated cost to the UK economy of around 500 million pounds per year and over 8,000 jobs.
France has now over-taken the UK as India's most visited European nation, attracting 500,000 visitors from the subcontinent last year.
In October 2015, British Prime Minister David Cameron had announced a pilot scheme for a two-year UK-China visitor visa costing 87 pounds.
The report recommends that Indian nationals must have the same opportunity.
"To optimise exchanges of people, business and ideas, it is important that both the UK and Indian governments discuss this promising proposal openly and collaboratively consider delivering it. The strength of the UK-India relationship today must also reflect in a stronger visa regime," said CII director-general Chandrajit Banerjee.
At present Indian visitors continue to pay a hefty pound 330 for a two-year visa, or pound 87 for six-months.
"Extending the visa pilot to include India is not just about governments, but also about people-to-people and economic-cultural exchange. Greater interaction through visitor visits will encourage familiarity," the report said.
According to UK's annual International Passenger Survey (IPS), the number of Indian visitors to the UK increased significantly from around 150,000 in 1995 to just over 350,000 in 2006.
Photograph: Reuters