India will re-open for tourists from October 15 after being closed for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government said Thursday.
The country famous for the Taj Mahal, desert palaces, tiger reserves, elephants and beaches had barred all foreign tourists in March 2020 in a strict lockdown when the pandemic took off.
But after a horrendous spike in Covid-19 cases earlier this year, the number of cases has since fallen sharply and the government, under pressure from an industry that is an important pillar of the economy, on Thursday announced a loosening.
Tourist visas will be granted for foreigners arriving on charter flights from October 15, and on other flights from November 15, the home ministry said in a statement.
It stressed that all Covid-19 protocols “should be adhered to by the foreign tourists, carriers bringing them into India and all other stakeholders at landing stations”.
Hospitals Overwhelmed
India initially banned all foreign arrivals. The restrictions were gradually eased for business people, diplomats and others but borders remained shut for holidaymakers.
In April and May this year the country of 1.3 billion people was hit by a severe wave of coronavirus infections with about 400,000 cases and 4,000 deaths every day.
Hospitals were overwhelmed as more than 200,000 people died in a period of around 10 weeks, according to official numbers that are widely seen as an underestimate.
The spike was blamed on new virus variants and the government having lifted restrictions too soon and allowing sporting events and major celebrations for religious festivals to take place.
But cases have since slowed sharply to around 20,000 new daily infections and 200 to 300 deaths in recent weeks.
