It depends how it works.
If you have to fill in the same forms at the airport the queues will be horrendous.
if the Indian govt requires the same information from visitors as now, then I can see them asking us to apply and print off on line and then get the actual stamp at the airport, but still having another queue !
I really cannot see it being as simple as the old Turkish visa on arrival system but live in hopes.

However the lowering of costs for 'tweekers' is bound to encourage some .

if the Indian govt requires the same information from visitors as now, then I can see them asking us to apply and print off on line and then get the actual stamp at the airport,

This is exactly what has been proposed by the Indian Authorities

However the lowering of costs for 'tweekers' is bound to encourage some .

Absolutely nothing has been mentioned in this respect, It is merely a self-perpetuating assumption being made by British tourists at present being heavily charged.

If you look at what other nations are charged, there is no real need to reduce their fees, the easier obtaining of the visa will be marketed as the "good news".
Having got away with trebling the visa fee to UK citizens, what incentive do they have to now reduce it? It has been made abundantly clear that we do not matter to Goa, and that for every Brit that stops going, ten Russians take their place.............................

TBH, although I thought the hike in the cost of a visa was pretty shocking, it didn't put me off going back to Goa.

Lots of people were calling for a boycott of Goa (yes, really. ), Some people said they wouldn't go back 'on principle'.

We look at the total cost of a holiday:
flights
accommodation
food & drink costs
visas (if applicable)

But the real question that we ask ourselves is "Do we really want to go to this place?".
If the answer is 'yes', then we pay whatever the visa cost is.

Unlike some other people, I didn't get hung up on what othere nationalities were paying. To me, that is irrelevant.
The visa cost is what it is.
Pay it or don't go.

It would be good to be able to get VOA - and at a cheaper price - but not if it involves massive queues at Immigration.
For the 'tweekers' - and I'm one - who go twice a year, maybe there won't be that much saving made if you have to apply (and pay) for 2 VOA.

And, even though it's supposed to be introduced in October, I'm not holding my breath.

the cost of the visa may not be reduced but surely not sending your passport will reduce the excessive postal charges etc.... that is if you are not required to send the passport, which we all assume but no one has confirmed.

There is no point boycotting Goa because of the visa. Unless they declare independence they can't lower the cost. I am sure the locals would love the visa cost reduced.

I don't really see how VOA will change anyones mind if they are simply going for a two week holiday.
The cost, especially for a family is simply too much.
Visa On Arrival 'may' simplify acquiring the visa but for shorter holidays the cost is the deciding factor.

In fact I think that the VOA may actually backfire and work against them.
If , for example you still have to do the form filling and application on line and then join a new queue in Dabolim to actually have the visa put in your passport, then I think that wouldn't be any better and quite possibly worse than present.
If however it is simply a matter of filling in the forms and paying on line in the UK and then simply having a rubber stamp on your passport/ printed page at immigration it should be better.

Looks like they are on to it in true Goan style

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Tour-operators-worry-over-delay-in-visa-on-arrival-facility/articleshow/33350649.cms

Never mind looks like they have found somewhere to fill in all the forms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Toilets-on-all-beaches-by-October-Goa-tourism-development-corporation/articleshow/33524955.cms

portable toilets?
goa?
what a really worrying thought!

Hope they don't get the cleaners from the public bar to look after them.

Fiona wrote:

There is no point boycotting Goa because of the visa. Unless they declare independence they can't lower the cost. I am sure the locals would love the visa cost reduced.

Exactly, Fiona.

Very short-sighted and a short-lived 'campaign'.

del949 wrote:

I don't really see how VOA will change anyones mind if they are simply going for a two week holiday.
The cost, especially for a family is simply too much.
Visa On Arrival 'may' simplify acquiring the visa but for shorter holidays the cost is the deciding factor.

In fact I think that the VOA may actually backfire and work against them.
If , for example you still have to do the form filling and application on line and then join a new queue in Dabolim to actually have the visa put in your passport, then I think that wouldn't be any better and quite possibly worse than present.
If however it is simply a matter of filling in the forms and paying on line in the UK and then simply having a rubber stamp on your passport/ printed page at immigration it should be better.

Del
I know cost of VOA has not been announced but if it's similar to other countries, don't you think that paying £30 per visit would encourage more tweekers?

I think if I were going twice in the season - and the process once you arrived at Dabolim was pretty time-consuming, I might bite the bullet and say 'I'd rather pay £92 for a 6 month visa and avoid the queues for VOA'.

I think the cost of the visa is offset by the really cheap eating/drinking costs once you are there.
We spend around £30 per day on all food & drink in Goa but in Greece we spend around 70 euros per day.

Took a look at andy taz's 2nd link.

I would give any portable toilets on the beach a very wide berth indeed.

I agree with your argument re the cost of the visa/eating and drinking but still think that an 'upfront' payment of over a hundred pounds for a family of four will be off putting.

Is £30 approx what other countries visiting India pay?

del949 wrote:

I agree with your argument re the cost of the visa/eating and drinking but still think that an 'upfront' payment of over a hundred pounds for a family of four will be off putting.

Is £30 approx what other countries visiting India pay?

I think - based on a comment on another holiday forum - that VOA is currently $60, around £36.

I have also read that it might be £60 so if anyone is going to go twice, it would be cheaper to do the old 6 month visa.

Total cost of holiday:
we spend less than half the amount on food & drink over 3 weeks in Goa than we spend in Greece in 2 weeks.
Makes sense to me but some people don't get past that initial 'how much is a visa?' to realise that.

is the visa situation in India a tit for tat thing,with the UK charging high prices to Indian visitors entering
the UK? I agree that once you are there things are a lot cheaper than most other holiday destinations and its
a case of pay up and shut up if you want to visit Goa. i like to have a few holidays a year so only do 14 to 17 days in Goa, so a cheaper visa would work for me.Any way have booked again for this year so will see what
happens.

andy taz wrote:

is the visa situation in India a tit for tat thing,with the UK charging high prices to Indian visitors entering
the UK?

I think it is tit-for-tat, Andy.

The UK doesn't just charge high visa prices for visitors from India but makes them jump through far more hoops.

SM

I was told Indians who apply for a visa and are rejected by the UK don't get any fees back and these go to the UK government, if this is true then it's not friendly business by the UK - but doesn't this apply to Brits if we are rejected ? Certainly there are many more Indians being rejected visas than Brits..
I would still prefer to have a visa prior to departing rather than for some reason being rejected once at Dabolim. If they just improved/simplified the application process, that would be a good start.
We have all filled in the form on the plane asking questions that you have already answered to be granted a visa in the 1st place, so this should be scrapped.
When we arrived a few weeks back we filled these in but at Dabolim these were taken off us and a smaller simplified one was handed out to fill in - still a waste trees, time and ink..
On our departure home we were expecting to have another one to fill in like all the previous years, but they were not required - just hand your passport over, quick scan and through = perfect!

I keep checking to see if there is any further news on visa on arrival. It would be great if it could be in place by the beginning of the tourist season.

Have there been any updates on VoA?

No.............. suspect the new Central Government has more important things on their mind to start with?