India likely to introduce COVID-19 insurance cover for foreign tourists

Foreign tourists visiting India might soon be offered attractive COVID-19 insurance policies. This move comes as a part of the Tourism Ministry's plans to boost India’s tourism sector.

As per the reports, Additional Director General of Tourism Ministry Rupinder Brar said that the department is studying insurance policies that have been introduced by Singapore and other countries.
Reportedly, more that 10.9 million foreign tourists visited India in the year 2019. However, tourism came to a halt in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, to prevent the virus from spreading further, the government suspended tourist visas as part of its lockdown measures, thereby bringing inbound tourism to a standstill. Although tourist visas will remain suspended for a while, the Tourism Ministry is making efforts to assure foreign tourists of their safety, and chalk out ways to boost tourism in the country.
Apart from this, the Ministry will also run a promotional campaign that will highlight various tourist attractions within the country along with infrastructural progress.
Recently, Indian Government also relaxed restrictions on business visas. Meanwhile, the travel bodies urged the government for relaxing tourist visas too. Referring to this, Subhash Goyal, Secretary General of Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, suggested that the government should start by offering e-visas to citizens of countries with which India already has air travel bubble agreements.

However, the government is in favour of taking steps in phases regarding inbound travel, and is currently focussing on providing a boost to domestic tourism. The Tourism Ministry further plans to highlight safety measures taken in airports and by airlines by releasing traveller videos.