Travel and tourism bosses have said that travel demand among Indians to reach the European Union will see an increase of up to 15 per cent in the coming months.
According to the bosses, this surge will be fueled by the more favourable Schengen visa rules adopted by the EU for Indian passport holders, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
Just a few days ago, the EU Commission announced that Indians with an established travel history and who have held two Schengen visas in the last three years will have easier access to multiple-entry visas with a longer validity period.
Following such an announcement, Indians’ interest in applying for Schengen visas and travelling to the bloc increased significantly.
The CEO of EaseMyTrip, Nishant Pitti, said that the recent changes that the EU has decided to make regarding the validity of visas issued to Indians are a game changer, Business Line explains.
Pitti further stressed that his company’s platform has already registered a 12 per cent increase in the number of Indians interested in travelling to one of the Schengen member states.
The recent changes in Schengen visa regulations are a game changer for the travel industry. The introduction of multi-year visas has already led to a ten – 12 per cent surge in interest among Indian travellers on our platform.
Indians Most Interested in Visiting France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy & Germany
While travel trends to the EU are not yet very clear, Pitti said that based on what they have seen so far, France, Greece, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany will be the most preferred destinations among Indian travellers.
France and Germany might be on the travel plans of many Indians due to the Olympics and Euro 2024 that will take place in these two EU countries this summer, respectively.
On the other hand, Greece and Italy are the most sought-after destinations among summer holidaymakers.
In addition to the countries mentioned above, Indians have shown interest in visiting some new destinations not so popular among them until now.
SOTC Travel President Daniel D’souza said that emerging destinations such as Croatia, Portugal, and Slovenia are also grabbing the attention of Indian travellers.
Indians Now Eligible for 2-Year Multiple-Entry Schengen Visas
In line with the changes that the EU has made, Indians who have frequently travelled to the bloc will be granted a two-year multiple-entry visa provided that they have been issued and have used two Schengen visas in the last three years.
The two-year visa will then be followed by a five-year multiple-entry visa if the passport of the applicant has sufficient validity remaining.
With a longer validity Schengen visa, Indians will be able to enter the Schengen Area multiple times a year. However, they must still follow the 90/180-day rule.
