(IBNS): Visa facilitator VFS Global said visa applications doubled in the first quarter of calendar year 2022 compared to the corresponding period last year yet the volume is nowhere close to the pre-pandemic level.
The number of visa applications from Kolkata to destinations such as the US, UK, UAE, Thailand, and Schengen countries ballooned by 50 percent in the January to March period of CY2022, indicating strong signals of the initiation of recovery in global travel, an official release said.
The company also observed that in India the popular international travel destinations include the UK, Canada and the Schengen nations which is also the case in terms of the volume of visa applications.
The opening of international borders, international universities allowing students on campus, relaxation of travel restrictions, resumption of international flights and widespread vaccination have contributed to the increase in outbound visa applications in India, a senior company official said.
VFS Global Senior General Manager of Operations Shubhashish Ganguly said, “The return to normal international travel after the disruption caused by the pandemic had accelerated growth this year.
“Across the country, there is a 100 percent jump in the volume of visa applications in Q1 CY 2022 from Q1 CY 2021. As more international flights start operating and partner governments revert to pre-pandemic norms and open more visa categories, we are sure that international travel will be back to normal soon.“
Coming to current travel trends, revenge travel has spiked up the demand and noticeably there is more acceptance for digitalized and personalised travel services.
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The Covid-19 induced pandemic has also led to an uptake in its services like ‘Visa at your Doorstep’ in which the visa facilitator collects customers’ visa applications and biometrics from their location of choice.
Across the country, this demand shot up four times last year, and six times compared to 2019, the company said.
Highlighting the factors that could boost tourism, the Dubai-headquartered company noted that the Fifa World Cup to be held in Qatar in November-December is likely to elevate the demand for international travel.
VFS Global expects that by the end of the year international travel will touch the pre-pandemic levels.
