Tag Archives: Iceland

Germany to roll out Digital Schengen visas for Indians

At a time, when visitations from India to its shores are at a record-high, Germany will be rolling out Digital Schengen visas for Indian nationals by the second quarter of 2025, said its Chennai-based Consul General Michaela Küchler.

In 2023, German diplomatic missions in India issued more than 1.8 lakh (180,000) Schengen Visas to Indians, and for 2024 the number is expected to surpass the 2 lakh (200,000) mark, as per a Wion report by Siddharth MP.

She added that the total time for obtaining a Schengen Visa (including appointment wait time and processing time) from a German mission takes less than four weeks for applicants from Southern India.

Schengen region refers to Europe’s passport-free zone covering most European countries. The largest free travel area in the world, it spans 29 countries that have abolished their internal borders to allow the unrestricted movement of people. Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen region for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days. The visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work.

The 29 Schengen countries are Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
(Source: Wion)

VFS Global has expanded its footprint across the world and is a name to reckon with in visa processing.

VFS Global processes its 300 millionth application

VFS Global has crossed the 300 million applications milestone. It is notable that the last 100 million applications have been achieved in the past 5 years despite the pandemic-driven travel slow-down of 2020-2022. In 2023 alone, the company processed 24.1 million applications, 35% more than 2022. (Source: ISR 2023), and between January to May 2024, it has processed approximately 100,000 applications a day.

Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global Group, said, “We are very pleased and honoured with the achievement of this milestone, which is a testament to the trust 69 governments have in VFS Global, and a testament to the reliable, secure and innovative services we provide across 153 countries. We are also deeply grateful to all visa applicants using our services. Over the past year we are honoured to have won several important contracts, including becoming the exclusive overseas visa outsourcing partner for UK Visas and DHA Australia, and contracts with Germany, Finland, Portugal and Japan who have renewed their trust in us. We remain deeply committed to continuing investments in technology and human capital development to ensure continuous enhancement of our services.”

From managing 60 client governments in 2019, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 69 governments with comprising long term partnerships with 25 governments for over 15 years. Last year, VFS Global was honoured to have won a record seven global visa outsourcing contracts – for UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Iceland, and Austria – further cementing client governments’ trust in the organisation’s highly secure, efficient, and innovative solutions and its overall value proposition.

Innovation and technology being a founding pillar for VFS Global, a company that conceptualised and created the business segment of outsourced visa services with its inception in 2001. For instance, the company has introduced 16 unique digital solutions and built robust end-to-end eVisa platforms for 12 sovereign governments. Likewise, it pioneered biometric capabilities another stellar example of innovation and adapting to changing market dynamics. VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 140 million biometric enrolments since 2007. Today as more governments look to integrating biometric enrollment in their visa application process, VFS Global has further developed its capabilities with Multi-Mission Model (MMM) biometric kits.

Schengen visa holders can travel to 2 more countries in Europe from Jan 2025

Romania and Bulgaria are set to become full members of the Schengen Area as early as January 2025, according to Hungarian officials. This follows years of partial inclusion, with the two Balkan nations joining the European Union in 2007, but only gaining limited access to the Schengen Area until March 2023.

While air and maritime border checks were removed, land borders remained restricted due to concerns over illegal migration, mainly from Austria, which had blocked their full entry into the zone. However, after recent talks between the interior ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania in Budapest, Austria lifted its opposition, clearing the path for a final decision by EU interior ministers in December 2024.

Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pintér confirmed that Romania and Bulgaria are now “one step closer” to full membership, with a key milestone being the deployment of at least 100 border guards along the Bulgaria-Turkey border.

This development marks a major turning point in Schengen expansion, with EU officials, including Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, welcoming the progress. They emphasized that Romania and Bulgaria now “fully belong” to the Schengen Area, with Johansson noting that this is a step toward greater freedom for the citizens of both nations.

For travellers with Schengen visas, Romania and Bulgaria’s full inclusion will expand the zone, allowing seamless access to two more countries without additional border checks. This integration will simplify travel across Europe, enhancing tourism and trade in the region.
With Romania and Bulgaria joining, the Schengen Area—currently comprising 23 EU member states plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein—will become even more accessible to travellers starting in January 2025.

Thomas Cook, SOTC Travel launch Northern Lights tours

Data from Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, reveals that the Indian appetite for experience-driven travel is witnessing significant growth.

The exceptional solar activity (solar maximum) occurring once every 11-15 years offers an increased chance to view the Northern Lights and has heightened interest for Aurora Borealis experiences between September 2024 – April 2025.

To maximise on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Thomas Cook and SOTC have designed a diverse range of Arctic tours, including top locales like Santa Claus Village – Rovaniemi, Saariselka-Lapland (Finland); Tromso, Kirkenes (Norway); Kiruna (Sweden) and Murmansk (Russia). Thomas Cook and SOTC’s Northern Lights tours offer awe-inspiring views of the Aurora Borealis on an exciting husky dog, reindeer and snowmobile safaris.

Additionally, authentic local experiences have been woven into the programmes: ice-floating, king crab fishing safaris; engaging and dining with the local Sami people; snowmobiling, visit to a reindeer farm, husky sledding, sea kayaking, fissure snorkelling in the fjords and whale watching.

The companies’ have incorporated exceptional local accommodation options: from Artic tree house stays, snow lodges, glass igloos, bubble stays, ice hotels to lighthouses.

In addition to a range of Northern Lights group tours (escorted by an experienced tour manager), Thomas Cook and SOTC’s experts have curated a delightful portfolio of personalized programmes – based on unique customer preferences/passions.

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, “With the 2024-2025 solar maximum season offering a rare chance of witnessing spectacular northern light displays, we have launched exciting and immersive Arctic Tours to drive demand. Immersive experiences that we’ve created include Aurora Borealis safaris, eclectic accommodation in igloos, glass hotels and Arctic tree houses/lodges; and fascinating destinations to explore like Santa Claus Village – Rovaniemi, Lapland, Tromso and Kiruna.

We are encouraged by the demand that we are witnessing – and this is across segments – from Young India’s Millennials & GenZ, couples, multi-generational families to Corporate MICE.”

S.D. Nandakumar – President and Country Head – Holidays and Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel Limited, said, “Celebrating our 75th year, we are delighted to offer specially curated experiential tours that reflect our deep understanding of the Indian traveller. We have launched our Northern Lights portfolio, timed perfectly with the exceptional solar activity of September 2024 – April 2025. Our intent is to offer Indians a breath-taking experience of the ethereal Aurora Borealis, together with exciting activities like ice floating, fissure snorkelling, king crab fishing safaris and engaging with the local Sami people.

The growing Indian demand for experiential travel like the Northern Lights is driven by increasing disposable income and social media propelling the desire for braggable travel rights. What is noteworthy is that this is not limited to India’s metros but also witnessing uptick from our regional Tier 2-3 travellers.”

 

NCL expands European Cruisetours collection

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has expanded its collection of European Cruisetours. Available in 11 ports through to November 2025, these pre-cruise programmes combine select sailings with a multi-day immersive land exploration to provide a more seamless cruise holiday experience.

Lisbon, Portugal has just been added to the collection of NCL’s pre-cruise land programmes, which are also available in iconic cities including Athens, Greece; Barcelona, Spain; Copenhagen, Denmark; Istanbul, Turkey; London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Reykjavik, Iceland; Rome and Venice, Italy and Tromso; Norway.

NCL’s Cruisetours enable guests to further immerse themselves in a destination either before or after a sailing, providing the convenience of a fully planned holiday that includes their cruise, transfers, hotels and tours exploring their chosen city.

“As the leader in Europe for contemporary cruising, we are continually looking to create innovative and meaningful experiences for our guests. Our expanded Cruisetour land programs provide even more opportunities for our guests to explore, with the flexibility and choice to travel their own way,” said Ben Angell, Vice President and Managing Director, NCL APAC. “We continue to see demand for cruising in Europe go from strength to strength, not only because of the incredible value and convenience we offer but also the extensive choice of immersive itineraries, departure ports and ships.”

 

Berjaya Hotels & Resorts appoints Nijhawan Group as India Representative

Nijhawan Group has been appointed as the India Sales, Marketing and Public Relations representative of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, boasting 34 hotels and resorts across 21 destinations in 8 countries.

From island resorts to city hotels in Malaysia, the group’s prominence extends across borders with the establishment of international hotels and resorts in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Japan and Iceland.

“We are elated to announce our partnership with Berjaya Hotel & Resorts as their India representative. We are dedicated to establishing unparalleled relationship with key Indian travel and media partners and foster stronger collaborations for the brand in India,” said Priyanka Nijhawan, Director- Representations, Nijhawan Group.

Being the largest hospitality group in Malaysia, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts wants to promote Malaysia as a must visit destination for Indians and showcase the USPs of the brand.

Pravir Mishra, Group General Manager, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, on this occasion, said, “India is a very important source market for Berjaya Hotels & Resorts. We are looking at focusing on destinations like Iceland, Seychelles, United Kingdom, etc. for the Indian travellers and personalising our offerings for leisure, MICE and weddings to suit the needs of the Indian market.” “We are excited to partner with Nijhawan Group and feel that their vast B2B network and strong media relationships with transform our positioning in this market.”