New Delhi, May 13 (KNN)  With considerable growth recorded in foreign tourist arrivals in the country during April 2013, the visa on arrival scheme is clearly popular among visitors.

“Visa on Arrival (VOA) scheme of the Government continues to be popular with foreign tourists. It registered a growth of 23.5 per cent during April, 2013 as compared to April, 2012.  During the month, a total number of 1408 VoAs were issued as compared to 1140 during April, 2012, said an official notification.

As many as 7,152 VoAs were issued between January and April 2013 compared to 5,045 during the corresponding period of the previous year which amounts to a growth of 41.8 per cent.

Nationals from 11 countries were issued VoAs during April-2013, the highest being Japan with 387 tourists and the lowest from Laos with one tourist.  For the four month period January-April 2013, there were 2,638 from Japan and four from Laos.

Delhi airport registered the highest number of VoAs with 4,139, followed by Mumbai - 1,558, Chennai - 956 and Kolkata - 445.

The Government of India with an aim to attract more tourists launched the Visa on Arrival Scheme in January 2010 for citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore visiting India for tourism.

The scheme was extended to citizens of six additional countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in January 2011.  (KNN)