All the details are here..............

https://www.hcilondon.in/event.php?id=128

Obviously this means no more postal applications, potential overnight accommodation if you cannot be at your allotted appointment by travelling that day, and as each appointment is for one person only, there is nothing to say that individual family members will be one after the other, or even on the same day!

Absurd.

After many holidays in India I stopped going in 2012 when the Visa process got really silly and ridiculously expensive. I now spend lots of time in Thailand and Sri Lanka since both of those countries really welcome British tourists, the weather is wonderful, and prices are good. The hotel accommodation is far better, and both countries are cleaner and better organised than India - most countries on the planet are cleaner than India!

The Indian government simply doesn't want us and this latest craziness confirms that again.
It can only be a matter of time now before the big TourOps like TUI and Thomas Cook cancel all charter flights from the UK to Goa.

Where do you recommend in Sri Lanka ukbill? I think that will be our next destination. I still cannot understand why India
wants to kill its tourist industry.

blobb140 wrote:

Where do you recommend in Sri Lanka ukbill? I think that will be our next destination. I still cannot understand why India
wants to kill its tourist industry.

Sri Lanka is much more of a year-round destination than Goa - which is basically closed down from May to October. You have lots of destination choices across Sri Lanka, and even more since the war ended and tourists are now welcomed into the north of the country as well.
Where you go depends very much on the kind of holiday you want. The southwest coast is the main tourist area with some really wonderful beaches – far cleaner than you may have experienced in Goa. The amazing historical sites tend to mostly be in the centre of the country (but easily visited from the coast, with a low cost overnight excursion) and the wild animal reserves are mainly in the south.
If you are looking at a November holiday, while the southwest should get some great weather then, you might be even better off on the east coast. Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons, one east, one west.

The climate on the southwest coast is similar to maybe southern India – like Kerala. Though one should remember that Sri Lanka is only about 400 miles from the equator
– so always quite warm everywhere (except the mountain tea country).

TUI - Thomson/First Choice stopped their Sri Lanka package charter holidays in the 2007/8 economic disaster time and I don’t think Thomas Cook has ever operated charters to there. Currently operators I’ve used, offering packages on scheduled airlines, are Mercury Direct (small company and relatively inexpensive though quite good), Hayes and Jarvis (part of TUI, very good and a wide range), and Kuoni (always excellent).

Thanks ukbill you given some good ideas there. When is the worst times rain wise? got enough here so want to miss that!

Would be interested to read what other, regular, members of this forum (if there are any left ) think about these new visa rules?

My sister and her partner are currently in Goa for 3 weeks for the first time and having a great time , she really loves it and said she wants to go back and thinks we would like it there too , but ...
I know she applied for their visas for their current visit , and it cost quite a bit ?? If I'm reading the link and above correctly you now make an online application and book an interview to get your visa ? , now they live in London , so I imagine not too much of a palaver to do this , but for me living in Kent , ( which is only 30/40 min by train ) I would not want to have to go to the cost and time to get my visa just to visit somewhere for a holiday ( when there are many other choices that are similar ? ) and easier to get into visiting there .

I've just renewed my passport and it was a quick and easy online application , no interview , no fingerprints , which allows me in and out of UK for next 10 years , and yet I would be subject to interview and fingerprints just to visit Goa for a holiday ? Doesn't sound like they're making easy to visit !!

Cost quite a bit?

Yes, £92 plus courier charge to return your passport................ so about £100.................each!

Plus your travel and time off................ each!

And then you don't actually get your visa as it is sent back to you when they have finished playing around with it!

I think this just put's the icing on the cake , it's a great shame the people are so nice but has people say things change and it's time to move on from this little paradise we all remember , you only have to look in bars and eateries no one is going in , we are looking at Cambodia at present. The visa will save Me over £250 and perhaps less hassle , but I do fear for the locals in goa but do they need us really

botany bay - as we always go March time we would be able to keep an eye out for problems with those that have gone for visas as early as November and hopefully sus out the do's / don'ts etc. which could give us a decision as to abort Goa or not, but.. we like to get flights booked well before then, so that throws a spanner in the works straight away.
As yet, costs of visas haven't been released, unless I have missed that, but any further increases is a big factor to think about.
Flights will become a problem for the usual charters, and I could see more pulling out.Qatar is more popular now, so will costs rise with them or will they increase number of flights ?
Quite a bit for all to consider once full details are released, and I just hope there is some common sense along the way.
We are in Leeds and only a 15min drive to Bradford for a visa, but being granted an appointment when they choose to issue one could possibly cause issues with work.
Not happy about all this, but will do our best to keep going - 3 week tomorrow and we jet out for 2 weeks so will be hearing views off folks we know in the shack.
Spike.

We are off to Goa for three weeks in two weeks time,but I think this will be our last holiday there after hearing about the latest visa fiasco.We were in Goa in November so our visa doesn't expire until April,so no problem with this trip,but if we want to go back in March as we usually do we would have to go to Liverpool or Manchester,with the cost of the visa(as it stands now)would cost around £500 possibly more depending on flight prices,we live on the Isle of Man,also we would have loss of earnings!
We love Goa and will be very sad not to spend our holidays there and will miss meeting up with the many friends,locals and visitors we have met over the years,but I think the time has come to look for a new holiday destination

Saw somewhere that there would be further details announced on February 23rd. Also that the new biometric system would be applicant funded, so possible further increase in fees?

Time to scrub India off my holiday wish list then! What on earth are they playing at?

Applicant Funded Well there's a surprise!! What happened to visa on arrival? Thought that was supposed to happen October last year.

Visa on Arrival is only for Russians, Americans, other European countries and several minor countries across the globe.
It is not provided for British citizens since the crazy Indian government is actively trying to dissuade anyone from going there.
They do NOT want British tourists. Though they never explain why not!

The new airport I just wonder will it be needed with the latest visa issues the tourist will be watching this for sure

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2961880/India-spend-10BILLION-new-warships-submarines-Britain-finally-prepares-axe-financial-aid-world-s-10th-biggest-economy.html

Guess our visas will have to make up for this too?

Dear oh dear.

I wonder about biometrics and it's implementation. Wonder if this would allow UK to gain access to this info considering it is taken in the UK....or will they sell your data on to whomever wants to help fund the costs involved for this?

I mean I did nick a few newspapers and bottle of milk in my early criminal life!

For reaction to the news

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2015539&c=setreg&region=2