JEDDAH, 27 December 2002 — Saudi tourists heading for India can look forward to same-day visa service at the Consulate General of India.
“We’ll receive Saudi applications for visa in the morning and deliver the processed ones the same afternoon,” Consul General Syed Akbaruddin told a meeting of travel agents held at Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wednesday night.
“Even on holidays, we’ve a counselor on duty for processing emergency cases. Even today, when the consulate had a holiday for Christmas, we issued five visas. There’s no need to visit the consulate for visa applications, as they can be downloaded from our dedicated website,” he added.
The consul general was speaking as chief guest at a meeting convened to introduce 15-day and seven-day Middle East-India package tours initiated by Hotel Calicut Green Castle, based at Calicut in southern state Kerala. He said the concept of package tours should have been introduced many years ago. “ I wonder why it has taken 50 years to introduce package tours to Kerala, which is acknowledged as one of the top 50 destinations in the world,” he said.
Reviewing the close ties, especially between Saudis and Keralites, he said 35 to 40 percent of Indians working in the Kingdom came from Kerala. While Keralites have been coming to the Gulf in large numbers in recent years, Arab traders began visiting that part of India over 3,000 years ago for trading purposes. The visiting Arabs in later years spread Islam there. “So Islam in Kerala is more sophisticated than in north India,” Akbaruddin said.
He hoped that with package tours to scenic Kerala becoming more popular among Saudis, the meeting of minds would be easy.
In his welcome address, Abbas Hassan Kutty, managing director of the package tour organizing company, said December to June are the best months weather-wise in Kerala for tourists.
“June to December months are full of rains, yet tourists are welcome for medical treatment, especially herbal treatment for various chronic health problems that Kerala is known for the world over,” he said.
“Package tours are well designed for Saudi and other Arab tourists, especially families. They are taken care of from their departure until they return home. Our package costs include everything so all that they’ll have to spend extra is on personal shopping,” Kutty said.
“Male and female guides are also provided to Arab tourists. Women and children are especially taken care of by female guides. A mobile kitchen will follow tourists during the course of their journey,” he emphasized.
A presentation given on the occasion showed the various tourist places covered in the package tours.
The 15-day tour covers destinations in Wynad, Mysore, Ooty, Trichur, Cochin, Alleppey, Kumarakam and Thekkady, Munnar, Palghat and Kadavu. The seven-day tour includes Wynad, Ooty, Trichur and Chochin and Alleppey.
He said the packages could be booked through the Jeddah-based Dar Al Emad Est.
