Top leaders may be showcasing bonhomie, but Chinese visas have become increasingly difficult to obtain in recent weeks, according to travel agents and airline officials.
As a result, China-bound flights from Calcutta, launched with much fanfare, are operating well below capacity, while festival-season travel to the country has become uncertain.
Applications rejected
Tour operators and airline officials said there had been large-scale rejections of group visa applications for China in the last few weeks.
“Group visas to China are getting rejected in large numbers. If the number of applicants is more than two, it is treated as a group visa by the Chinese authorities,” said Riddhi Roy, managing director of Dolphin Global Tours and Travels, which organises tourist groups to China, including Kailash Mansarovar trips.
“We have a group of 22 tourists travelling to China during the Puja holidays. But their visa applications cannot be processed. So, the trip has become uncertain,” he said.
Sources said about 90% of group visa applications to China were being rejected.
Demand slump
IndiGo’s Calcutta-Guangzhou service was relaunched last October and initially saw strong demand. However, Calcutta airport sources said demand began to dip in July this year, when visa rejections started increasing.
“Now, the Calcutta-Guangzhou flights have a passenger load of around 30%. This is mainly because of visa rejections,” an airport official said.
IndiGo is also set to launch a Calcutta-Shanghai service from October 1.
“After the reintroduction of the Guangzhou flight, there was a major boost in travel to China from Calcutta. Businessmen and tourists were travelling there. However, in the last few weeks, the rejections have been very high,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), eastern region.
Airlines and travel agents had been looking at China as a major international destination for the Puja holidays, particularly with the addition of the Shanghai service.
“But now, we are apprehensive,” said a tour operator.
Ties in focus
The visa difficulties come despite a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Delhi this month.
Their bilateral engagement — the first on Indian soil since 2019 — took place against the backdrop of a new point of tension near the Taksin border area of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Chinese foreign ministry readout quoted Xi as saying that the two sides should remain committed to advancing bilateral relations, resolving the boundary question and maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas. According to the Indian readout, Modi underscored the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border issues.
Other destinations
Demand for destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Sri Lanka is strong for Puja travel this year, according to Calcutta airport sources.
The average return fare on IndiGo between Calcutta and Bangkok rises to about ₹46,000 during Puja, sources said. The average fare is around ₹28,000. In comparison, a return fare between Calcutta and Shanghai was around ₹40,000 for the Puja period, against an average fare of ₹36,000.
Within India, tour operators said demand was also high for Bagdogra, Shillong, Goa and Srinagar.
