Britain launches new initiative to attract Indian tourists

Thursday, 26 February 2009, 15:54 IST
Printer Print Email Email
New Delhi: Eyeing the increasing number of Indian tourists to Britain, the British tourism authority Wednesday launched a new initiative to facilitate their travel to the country. The authority, VisitBritain, launched a range of popular travel products that travellers can buy in India before flying to Britain. The products include travel cards with which visitors can board buses, the London pass that allows entry into select tourist spots, and tickets to other tourist attractions. It will also facilitate the visa process. "These products will act as a one-stop shop for travel needs of visitors to Britain. It means you can buy tickets with ease and avoid long ticket queues at popular attractions. The most important thing is that you will paying in rupees and save foreign currency in Britain," said VisitBritain's commercial services general manager Colin Simonds. "In the face of global economic downturn, we can capitalise on the strength of the rupee against pound and communicate benefits effectively to potential visitors that this is the best time to travel to Britain," Simonds said. The authority also launched a 32-page brochure 'My Guide to Britain' to help first-time visitors. The visa operation in India is Britain's largest in the world, accounting for about one in five applications globally. In 2008, almost 350,000 visas were issued in India.
Source: IANS