The Indian government has opened up the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to charter superyachts with the introduction of a new E-Visa available on arrival at nine different airports in India. The country hopes to attract more tourists, especially superyacht charters, by making it easier for travellers to explore India's exotic island destinations.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of nearly 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal - nine of which are open to foreign tourists. Located 1,400 kilometres from mainland India and 1,000 kilometres from Thailand, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are one of the most remote spots on the planet and an ideal superyacht cruising ground.
The new Indian E-Visa system is part of an Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme that requires visitors to apply online at least four days before leaving for the country. This innovation aims to make it substantially easier for tourists to travel to India, which usually requires applicants to wait weeks before visas are issued.
The new Electronic Travel Authorisation system will be in place at the following Indian international airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Thiruvanathapuram, Kochi and Goa.