Taiwan is considering allowing Indian people to obtain visa on arrival (VoA), which is a positive step forward for Indian tourists.
Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister, Tien Chung-kwang, stated this goal and also noted India’s substantial outbound travel and the possible advantages of streamlining the visa application process.
In an interview with reporters in Taipei on Tuesday, he accepted the idea and underlined that internal talks with Taiwan’s Immigration Department are required before making any official decisions. He emphasised that such a policy change requires collaboration and that the government cannot implement it on its own.
“People from India travel a lot…We are thinking of applying for a visa on arrival. We will speak with the Department of Immigration. We need to have internal discussions; the government cannot handle it on its own,” he stated.
“It has been suggested that we obtain our visa on arrival. Tien Chung-kwang said, “We are giving it very serious consideration,” demonstrating Taiwan’s proactive approach to easing travel from India for both business and tourists.
Taiwan and India began to get in touch with one another and relax visa requirements when the Indian government launched the “Look East Policy” in early 1991.
This development follows the strong rejection by Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister of China’s protest to the recent message exchange between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Taiwan President Lai Ching Te following the latter’s election victory.
The deputy foreign minister of Taiwan remarked, “I am sure Modi ji and our President will not be intimidated by that reaction.”
It was recently confirmed by the Chinese Embassy in India that Taiwan is an “inalienable part” of Chinese land.
The spokeswoman for the embassy further highlighted that the one-China policy is an internationally accepted standard for international interactions and a widely held belief.
The commercial relationship between Taiwan and India has expanded dramatically in recent years. Under its “New Southbound Policy,” Taiwan views India as a vital partner. The two nations have also inked a migration agreement that permits Indian labourers to work in Taiwanese industries.
China continues to claim the island nation, and Lai Ching-te issued a strong warning to Beijing to cease threatening it.
Taiwan’s Mission to India
Taiwan’s ambassador to India, Baushuan Ger, stated to Indian media last year that the nation hopes to receive over 100,000 Indian visitors a year. Still, its primary goal is to return to pre-pandemic levels of traveller arrivals in the Indian market.
40,000 Indian tourists had come to the nation in 2019. 32,000 tourists arrived in Taiwan from India in the previous year. This year, the nation expects Indian tourism to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration established the Taiwan Tourism Information Centre in Mumbai earlier this year to increase travel from India. This was the nation’s re-entry into India after the pause brought on by the pandemic.
A representative was also assigned by the Tourism Administration’s Singapore office to spearhead its growth plan for the Indian market. Its expansion strategies centre on the Indian wedding, leisure travel, and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) markets.
According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, the outbound MICE tourism industry from India is expected to reach $13.4 billion by 2031.
According to projections made by the Global Business Travel Association, India will spend $38 billion on business travel this year. By 2025, a complete return to pre-2019 spending levels is anticipated. India’s business travel expenditures increased by about 25% in 2023, surpassing 78% of their pre-pandemic levels.
