Tag Archives: Germany

Visa application volume from Mumbai sees 30% YoY growth in 2023, recovers to 90% of pre-pandemic level

Visa application volumes from Mumbai in 2023 remained strong and closed in further to the pre-pandemic levels with restoration of travellers’ confidence to explore global destinations. According to VFS Global, the visa application volume from Mumbai registered a 30% year-on-year growth in 2023. When compared to the pre-pandemic numbers, visa application volumes from Mumbai reached 90% of the 2019 levels.

The demand pattern in Mumbai was in line with the overall growth trend registered in India, which saw a 16% year-on-year in visa applications in 2023. In comparison to the pre-pandemic numbers, visa application volumes from India reached 93% of the 2019 levels.

“We continued to witness robust demand from India and the entire South Asia region in 2022 which led to an extended peak outbound travel season with steady volumes witnessed throughout the year. We remain committed to providing exceptional customer service through technology-led, seamless, highly secure and reliable solutions,” said Sharad Gowani, Head – West India, VFS Global.

Gowani added that applicants must of wary of fake websites/social media pages impersonating VFS Global and selling appointments in exchange of money. “Appointments are free and available only on www.vfsglobal.com on first come; first serve basis. As a responsible service provider, we will continue to create awareness against the menace and urge applicants to plan their travel early.”

A few of the popular destinations preferred by travellers from India in 2023 were Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, UK, US (in alphabetical order).

Strong demand for personalised services continued to be a defining trend in the 2023 visa application patterns as well. VFS Global recorded a strong uptick in customised services such as the Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service that empowers applicants to complete their entire visa application submission process from the comfort of their homes or any other location of their choice. Through this premium service, customers can submit their applications, enroll for biometrics, and get their passport couriered back to their location of choice. VAYD bookings in 2023 in India registered around five-fold increase when compared to 2019. VFS Global offers VAYD services for 16 countries in India – Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Switzerland, and UK.

Similarly, the demand for Premium Lounge, an optional service which provides end-to-end personalised assistance with visa application submission from the comfort of a lounge, is rising with the rise in application volumes. Another service named Prime Time, which allows visa application submission outside of working hours and even on weekends, has seen a healthy adoption since pandemic.

Please note that all these premium services are optional and has no bearing in expediting applicant’s visa process or favourable decision-making.

“We continue to see a healthy adoption of contactless and personalised services such as VAYD and Premium Lounge by discerning travellers post the pandemic due to health considerations. These services enhance the overall experience for applicants by offering them greater comfort and convenience when submitting their visa applications. We foresee higher demand for such premium services prioritising safe travel this year as well,” added Gowani.

France claims top spot on Henley Passport Index for 2024; India drops to 85th position

In the recently released Henley Passport Index for 2024, France has secured the leading position, with its passport granting visa-free access to an impressive 194 countries.

However, India has experienced a slight setback, dropping from 84th to 85th place in the rankings.

This unexpected decline comes as a surprise, considering that Indian passport holders now enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries, up from 60 in the previous year. Despite recent initiatives from countries like Iran, Malaysia, and Thailand offering visa-free entry for Indian tourists, the overall passport ranking has slipped.

The Henley Passport Index, which evaluates passport strength based on visa-free access, includes other top-performing nations such as Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain.

In the South Asian region, Pakistan maintains its position at 106th place, while Bangladesh has seen a slight drop from 101st to 102nd position. On the brighter side, India’s neighbor, Maldives, continues to hold a robust passport ranking at 58th place, allowing Maldivian passport holders visa-free travel to 96 countries.

The Henley Passport Index derives its rankings from 19 years of data, utilizing the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) specialized data, covering 199 different passports and 227 travel destinations globally. The index, updated monthly, serves as a global standard for assessing the travel freedom of citizens across independent countries.

The data from the Henley Passport Index underscores the significant evolution in global mobility over the past two decades. In 2006, individuals could travel visa-free to an average of 58 countries, a number that has nearly doubled to 111 countries in 2024.

Dubai Airport records 31.7% surge in passengers for 2023; India tops the list with 11.9mn arrivals

India has emerged at the top spot for the highest number of passengers flying through the Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest for international travel, with traffic totalling 11.9 million guests, the airport announced on Monday.

According to a statement, DXB surpassed not only its own yearly forecast but also pre-pandemic levels of traffic.

In 2023, DXB witnessed a surge in passenger numbers, reaching 86.9 million passengers (86,994,365), an impressive year-on-year increase of 31.7%.

It was just under a per cent higher than the passenger numbers recorded in 2019 (86.4 million), the numbers were driven by robust growth in the second half of the year during which the airport recorded a total of 45.4 million guests.

With 7.8 million guests, December was the busiest month in the fourth quarter during which the airport welcomed a total of 22.4 million guests, a year-on-year growth of 13.8 per cent compared to Q4 of last year. Q3 remained the quarter with the highest traffic since 2019 with 23 million guests while August, with 7.9 million guests, was the month with the highest traffic.

DXB is currently connected to 262 destinations across 104 countries through 102 international carriers, according to data for 2023.
India claimed the top spot among destination countries with traffic totalling 11.9 million guests, followed by Saudi Arabia with 6.7 million guests and the U.K. with 5.9 million guests. Other country markets of note include Pakistan (4.2 million), the U.S. (3.6 million), Russia (2.5 million), and Germany (2.5 million).

DXB processed a total of 77.5 million bags in 2023, making it the highest volume of bags managed during a calendar year at the airport. Despite 24.6% year-on-year increase in baggage volume, DXB maintained its unmatched success rate of 99.8%, with only 2.4 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers.

More than 95% of guests experienced less than seven minutes of waiting time at the departure passport control while the average waiting time at security check-in departures was less than four minutes for 97.5% of guests.

According to the ACI World’s globally recognised Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme, DXB scored 4.5, the highest result achieved by the airport to date.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, said the “remarkable performance marks the successful and ahead-of-time completion of the airport’s recovery journey”.

London retained its position as DXB’s top destination with 3.7 million guests, followed by Riyadh with 2.6 million guests, and Mumbai with 2.5 million guests.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said 2023 was an exceptional year and is a testament to DXB’s commitment to “operational excellence, efficiency, innovation and delivering exemplary guest experience”.

Initial forecasts indicate that in 2024, DXB is anticipated to receive 88.8 million guests, putting the hub within striking distance of its previous all-time high record of 89.1 million guests set in 2018.

 

Visa application volume from New Delhi sees 10% YoY growth in 2023, recovers to 82% of pre-pandemic level: VFS Global

Visa application volumes from New Delhi continued to stay strong in 2023 and closed in further to the pre-pandemic levels with restoration of travellers’ confidence to explore global destinations and easing of travel restrictions. According to VFS Global, the visa application volume from New Delhi registered a 10% year-on-year growth in 2023. When compared to the pre-pandemic numbers, visa application volumes from New Delhi reached 82% of the 2019 levels.

This trend of rise in visa application volume from New Delhi is in line with the overall growth trend registered in India, which saw a 16% year-on-year growth in 2023. When compared to the pre-pandemic numbers, visa application volumes from India reached 93% of the 2019 levels.

Vishal Jairath, Head – South Asia, VFS Global, said, “We continued to witness unprecedented demand from India and the entire South Asia region in 2023 which led to an extended peak outbound travel season with steady visa application volumes witnessed until December. We are confident that this positive travel momentum will sustain in 2024 as well. Thus, applicants who are planning to travel overseas from India are advised to apply for their visas well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush.”

A few of the popular destinations preferred by travellers from India in 2023 were Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UK, the US (in alphabetical order).

Strong demand for personalised services continued to be a defining trend in the 2023 visa application patterns as well. VFS Global recorded a strong uptick in customised services such as the Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service that empowers applicants to complete their entire visa application submission process from the comfort of their homes or any other location of their choice.

Through this premium service, customers can submit their applications, enroll for biometrics, and get their passport couriered back to their location of choice. VAYD bookings in 2023 in India registered around five-fold increase when compared to 2019. VFS Global offers VAYD services for 16 countries in India – Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the UK.

Similarly, the demand for Premium Lounge, an optional service which provides end-to-end personalised assistance with visa application submission from the comfort of a lounge, is rising with the rise in application volumes. Another service named Prime Time, which allows visa application submission outside of working hours and even on weekends, has seen a healthy adoption since pandemic.

“We continue to see a healthy adoption of contactless and personalised services such as VAYD and Premium Lounge by discerning travellers post the pandemic due to health considerations. These services enhance the overall experience for applicants by offering them greater comfort and convenience when submitting their visa applications. We foresee higher demand for such premium services prioritising safe travel this year as well,” added Jairath.

VFS Global is the trusted partner to 52 sovereign governments in India and provides visa services on their behalf through a network of over 560 visa application centres spread across 19 cities.

 

In January, Sri Lanka recorded more than 200,000 tourists

 

According to official data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, over 200,000 tourists, including visitors from India, Russia, Germany, the US, Britain, Australia, and China, arrived in the country in January this year.

In 2024, the South Asian nation targets attracting two million tourists.

Official data reveals that it experienced a 106.6% increase in tourist arrivals in 2023, reaching 1,487,303, making tourism a key contributor to the country’s foreign revenue.

Source: IANS

Lufthansa launches direct flights from Hyderabad to Frankfurt

Furthering its commitment to India and enhancing its presence in the subcontinent, Lufthansa German Airlines is has launched direct services between Hyderabad, capital of Telangana and Frankfurt, Germany.

With five weekly departures (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday), flight LH753 will depart from Hyderabad at 01:55 hours and arrive in Frankfurt at 07:05 hours. The return flight LH752 will depart from Frankfurt at 10:55 hours and arrive in Hyderabad at 23:55 hours,

Lufthansa now operates direct connections from Germany to 5 destinations in India with Hyderabad-Frankfurt being the latest addition to its global network. As the fastest growing major market for Lufthansa globally, capacity growth in India exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

According to George Ettiyil, Senior Director – South Asia, Lufthansa Group, “With our new Hyderabad-Frankfurt service we now offer Indian passengers 64 weekly flights to our hubs in Europe and onward connections to the biggest network on the European continent As we launch Hyderabad, our capacity to India has increased by 14% (relative to 2019), making it the fastest growing major market for Lufthansa. With Bengaluru-Munich and now Hyderabad-Frankfurt services, we have launched 2 new routes in the past 3 months, recognizing South India’s growing relevance and demonstrating the strong overall importance of India to the Lufthansa Group.”