Mmmm this is straying further off topic and starting to get a bit more argumentative and less friendly, I thought everybody in here was a friendly bunch who wanted to pass on their love of Goa warts and all, not scare potential newbie's away, the Carvery Meets must be fun if this is how it goes when you all meet up

Chill and have a honeybee or some other thing that I have still to sample from Goa when I eventually get there

Honeybee ?? I keep hearing that, whta is a Honeybee ???? apart from the obvious buzy bee lol

A friend of mine had her application returned last year due to the fact she stated "Police Officer" as her occupation. She had to return the applications at more expense with a letter from her county constabulary stating that she did not intend to work. Yes, she applied for a tourist visa!

MMMmmm honeybee....a locally made Brandy that goes down so well only when in Goa. It costs about 120rps (£1.50) for a 70cl bottle.

The drooling has started..... OMG! I've still got 121 days to go!!

locally made Brandy

Well there goes another misconceived perception, I imagined it to be a beer or lager

Mahal
I'm not confusing issues, I'm well aware of the difference between the Goa tourism board and the Government of India.
To make a difference in tourist numbers, the Goan Tourist Board need to have the support of the Indian Government.
They also need to understand some of the issues that are affecting people who wish to travel to Goa.

If neither of these things happen, their visit to the WTM this week will be nothing more than a jolly.
I'm sure all of us hope that this visit and the 3 roadshows will make a difference.

I've said (twice already) that I've not had a problem with getting visas.
As long as that situation lasts and I can get the flights, dates and hotels that I want, I'll continue to visit Goa for a holiday.
Please note: I am not a long-stayer.

But a number of people (Bindoobaba, Bardez, Gramps, iantwoeyes and myself) have been telling you that some people DO have problems with visas - very real problems, not 'urban myths' - but you still don't seem to understand it.

Your comment re Media ( journalists) is mis-leading ,in that if a journalist wants to visit India , in a Media capacity , well they have to apply for the relevant appropriate Visa Category.
A journalist coming as a tourist , needs to apply for a tourist Visa , and does not need to provide a letter stating that they wont work whilst on Holiday , why would you have to provide a letter stating that you wont work , when you have applied for a tourist Visa !!

Mahal, my comment re Media (journalists) is NOT mis-leading.

In fact, you are the one who is mis-leading other posters by saying that members of certain professions, applying for a TOURIST visa, don't need to provide a letter from their employer.
Here is the link to the relevant page on the VFS website - please read it for your information:
http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/touristvisa_CheckList.html

It clearly states that for media related professionals, police or armed forces, commercial pilots, charity workers and priests going to India FOR TOURISM need a letter.

It's taken me 10 minutes to find this link on the VFS website - and I knew it was there!

and I am sorry but it has to be said by failing to comprehend the VFS website , and that failure is mainly caused because they are looking for problems which dont actually in reality exist .

I hardly think that can be classed as 'failing to understand the VFS website'.

I echo your question:

why would you have to provide a letter stating that you wont work , when you have applied for a tourist Visa !!

Why indeed?
Maybe that's a question that the Goan Tourism Minister would like to put to the Indian Government.

For people who have Irish passports, they have difficulties too.
Take a read at this link to Tripadvisor to see what additional information is required from people holding those passports, there's lots of posts from people who have had problems:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g297604-i6045-k4025022-Help_please_for_Irish_passport-Goa.html

So Mahal, to end, there are some problems that you were obviously previously unaware of within the visa application process.

I hope you follow the links I've given and follow my suggestion of reading through the Visa thread on here and the many Visa threads on TA to gain a better view of the very real issues SOME people experience in applying for visas.

Kiltman, I appreciate that this may now be going off topic but this was started by a link to an article about Goa trying to woo UK tourists back.
A number of people have pointed out that one way to do that would be to address the visa issues which are well documented on here, which I personally think is on-topic.

Any 'argumentative' or 'less friendly' posts have come from one poster who (as Gramps has implied) is unwilling or unable to accept the problems that the 'older' posters know to be true.

I felt that, to help people in those professions discussed above, the erroneous information provide by Mahal needed to be corrected.

So the lesson has ended

If you wish to discuss constructively how tourists can be wooed to visit Goa that's fine, but enough of the 'you said this I said that' tit for tat type posts, please don't be goaded by some members in to having more arguments.

Graham

Thanks Iantwoeyes,

a locally made Brandy that goes down so well only when in Goa. It costs about 120rps (£1.50) for a 70cl bottle.

This sounds delicious mmmmmmm

Kelly

Mahal I think you should read:

India Mike website "Applying for an Indian Visa in the UK" Your Questions and Experiences
then perhaps you will understand people frustration with Goa.

Another strange set of regulations for people travelling with children.

I can appreciate the need to be sure that someone is not spiriting a child away from one or both parents but they require all sorts of documents (copy of the child's birth certificate showing both the parents names, consent letter signed by both the parents, photocopy of parent's passports along with the copy of their current Indian Visa, if already holding one) - even if the child is travelling with both parents.
Check out the link to VFS I gave in my last post on this thread.

Although I appreciate Mahal's point about him personally not having any problems with visa applications, if Goa wishes to 'woo back the Brits' a good place to start would be to review some of the incomprehensible (at least to me) things that certain people need to provide simply to be granted a visa.

I wonder what the reasoning behind certain professions needing extra paperwork is. I suppose I could understand Journalists, because that is probably something you could do anywhere, but if you are a policeman, are you really going to be so bored on holiday that you will present yourself for duty at the local station?

Mobor One
I have a bizarre image of a Detective Chief Inspector from Scotland Yard directing traffic at Calangute roundabout.

I think I remember one guy last year having a bit of a problem with his visa because of his job - he played the organ in a church.

OK prettypollycat -- I stand corrected , it seems that indeed , some people are experiencing difficulties , and find it a very confusing process . But it seems to me that the tour operators are missing a trick here , how easy it would be for them , at the point of sale , to also , for a fee , offer a Visa Service , to their customer , it could be a nice little earner for them , they to sweeten the blow to their customer could offer the cost of the Visa Service , as yet another false discount .

Mahal
thank you for achnowledging that obtaining an Indian visa is indeed causing some people big problems.

Re your suggestion about tour operators offering a chargeable service for obtaining visas, my thoughts on that:
It wouldn't help those people who travel independently by booking their flights and accommodation separately - they don't use a Tour Operator

I'm not convinced that Tour Operators Customer Services or Admin teams would be capable of managing the visa process any better than individuals.
Individuals have a vested interest in getting things right.
Individuals ask questions on forums such as this and learn that in certain occupations, or when a single or no parent is travelling with a child or if you have a non-UK passport there are certain additional criteria to be met - I can't see Tour Operator staff being as thorough and that would only add to the stress and confusion for people using a 3rd party to obtain their visas.

Additionally, even if a Tour Operator offered a service to obtain visas on behalf of travellers, as all applications have to go through VFS antway, that would just be putting an extra step into the process.
Would I send my applications and passort to, say, Thomas Cook for them to forward onto VFS?
I can't see any value-add in that at all.

There are some travel agents (independent I think) who provide a visa collection service, I am sure there are people on the HT forum who have used them. I am not a 100% sure where they were but I seem to think it may have been Bolton , I know one thing for certain it was'nt cheap....Keith

One person on Trip Advisor recently posted that they payed an agency to organise the visa at an extra cost of £35 per visa. The person said it was less stressful getting somebody else to organise it although they still had to complete their own application form AND the agencies form as well.

I have to do four applications this week for Family and their friends and I can tell you it will be stressful.

Visa on arrival is the single biggest thing that could boost tourism to Goa.

Papa

Hi,

I am lucky and have not problems filling in the form, or getting the visa, as I live near London. I think the problem is the two month wait inbetween. We generally (a group of ladies) go for a week in November, but because of the two months rule, we haven't gone this year, as we are booked to go lst week of January, so I think that is what is off putting, they must have lost loadds of revenue this year so far. I mean have you seen the price of some of the holidays recently? A favourite of our falcon resort £267 for two weeks holidays, today I have had a email for two weeks holiday with lst choice for £368!!!!

valleylady how right you are

but they require all sorts of documents (copy of the child's birth certificate showing both the parents names, consent letter signed by both the parents, photocopy of parent's passports along with the copy of their current Indian Visa, if already holding one) - even if the child is travelling with both parents.

my mum is coming out with my grandchild .. and we are experiencing major probs re visa, my daughter is divorced has custody but its not written on divorce papers, father has had no contact for 5yrs and for personal reasons we are unable/dont wish to contact him... we have spent a small fortune on required solicitors letters for verification but have now abandoned this course as far to costly and lengthy .. we are at our wits end and just hoping we get the visa...trying another route... but its stressful!! very!!! and worrying..there must be a lot of single parents out there in a similar situation as us.

chilly