Saudi plan to issue tourist visas gets mixed reaction in India

Photo for illustrative purposes only. A Muslim pilgrim cries (C) as she departs for the annual Haj pilgrimage to the holiest place for Muslims in Mecca, at an airport in Ahmedabad, India, August 21, 2016. REUTERS/Amit Dave

The initial reactions in India to Saudi Arabia’s plan to introduce tourist visas later this year have been mixed. Tour agencies foresee a high demand but not all travellers Salaam Gateway spoke to can see a reason to visit the Kingdom that is not related to pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabia currently hosts around 18 million visitors each year, most of whom are pilgrims and business travellers. The Kingdom hopes to attract around 30 million international visitors by 2030 as part of its strategy to diversify its economy from a reliance on oil revenues and it has already announced plans for mega-billion dollar projects to develop its tourism sector.  

With 172 million Muslims, India is among the top three nationalities to visit Saudi Arabia every year for religious purposes. In 2017, around 700,000 Indian pilgrims travelled to Saudi to perform either the haj or umrah.