France Attracting An Increasing Number Of Visitors From India

01 May 2014

France is increasingly attracting visitors and travelers from India and this is specifically so during the travel/tourist season. At the time when the tourist season reaches its pinnacle, France is taking up various measures which are being pursued along with the web materials that are being offered by ‘Atout France’, the agency responsible for the furtherance and advancement of tourism in France.

As per the latest measures, travel agents and travel agencies can now forward the application files of individual applicants straight away to the France Visa Application Center without the need for appointment. If a batch of applicants would like to apply, travel agencies are requested to get in touch with VFS Global much before the expected date of travel. This advice is being proffered because if VFS Global is contacted, they can provide proper guidance as regards the requirements pertaining to necessary documentation and provision of required files.

Also, if the application documentation is provided very much in advance, the French consulate does allow a return of the passport (pass-back), without any special costs/fees to be paid. This is in the case of emergencies, when the applicants cannot part with their passports, while their application is being processed. As for the hotel bookings, the requirement from the consulate is that the tour agencies provide or part with information such as names of the hotels, their addresses and their contact details where the tourists intend to stay during the trip.

According to the French ambassador, an official decision has also been taken regarding opening of more number of visa processing centres. And also, in July last year, an official decision had been taken to cancel the requirements of biometrics. So, only those who are specifically called for interviews need be present at the office of the visa consulate. Also according to sources, there has been a regular/consistent rise in the number of Indian tourists to France.

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