There was no respite for the travel industry in 2021 as Covid cases have led to a decrease in international travel. This has resulted in fewer electronic visas granted to foreign travelers by the Indian government.
According to the data from Union Home Ministry, India granted as many as 29 lakh E-visas in 2019 which dipped to 6.98 lakh in 2020 and 2021 saw them go as low as 40,000. This sharp decline in E Visas granted is worrisome as it points to the fact that the tourism sector is under tremendous pressure.
The government had imposed restrictions on foreign travelers in 2020 and 2021, few such restrictions were foreigners not allowed to travel through land borders, compulsory quarantine rules and RT PCR test.
Data from Union Home Ministry
| Year | Electronic Visas | Regular Visas |
| 2021 | 40,000 | 45,000 |
| 2020 | 6,98,000 | 7,05,000 |
| 2019 | 29,00,000 | 32,00,000 |
| 2018 | 25,00,000 | 35,00,000 |
Recent surge in the cases of covid has a huge impact on the travel industry as data from Ministry of Civil Aviation suggests that not only International travel, domestic air traffic has seen a sharp decline as some states have imposed restrictions.
