31-07-2025
Searches for UK, UAE, Vietnam visas surge up to 44%; Atlys responds with access-oriented pricing trial
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Inbound tourism stalls as IATO flags urgent reforms for India to stay competitive
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has raised concern over the stagnation in inbound tourism, pointing to poor visa facilitation, fragmented branding, and global safety perceptions. With foreign tourist arrivals still below pre-pandemic levels, IATO has called for cohesive government-private collaboration, infrastructure investment, and a revival of the Incredible India campaign to reposition India on the global travel map. See More Details
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ETTravelWorld
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Visa-tech startup Atlys has announced a two-day pricing experiment scheduled for early August that it claims is aimed at removing financial friction in the visa application process for Indian travellers . The company, which facilitates visa applications digitally, will temporarily offer visa services for multiple global destinations at a flat fee of ₹1 on August 4 and 5 via its positioned as a limited-time initiative, the move reflects a larger shift in how Indian travellers—especially first-time applicants, Gen Z, and millennials—are approaching international travel planning. In recent months, Atlys has reported a notable rise in search traffic for countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Georgia, the UAE, and the UK, with growth ranging from 18% to 44% compared to the prior two months. A significant share of this surge comes from Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, suggesting a wider base of outbound travel interest beyond traditional metro hubs.'Atlys was created to eliminate friction from the visa process. With the One Way Out Sale, we are taking that mission even further,' said Mohak Nahta , Founder and CEO of Atlys. 'For the first time, travellers can get visas at a price that feels impossible. We want to challenge what people expect from this industry and prove that global travel can be truly within reach.'The list of destinations covered under the initiative includes countries such as the UAE, UK, Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, and Egypt, among others. For countries requiring physical appointments, including the US and select Schengen states, appointment booking services will also be offered at the same nominal to a 2024 data, Indian travellers lost over ₹664 crore in non-refundable visa fees last year alone—often due to documentation errors, rejections, or failed appointments. The figure highlights the financial risk embedded in the current visa ecosystem, especially for newer travellers navigating the process that context, Atlys's move could be seen as both a signal of shifting industry economics and a potential indicator of how travel-tech platforms are recalibrating to meet consumer demand post-pandemic. With digital visa solutions gaining ground, companies like Atlys are positioning themselves not just as facilitators of documentation, but as gateways to global startup, which has raised over $40 million in funding, has previously launched AI-based tools to simulate consular interviews and evaluate visa probability. Its broader focus has been to digitize traditionally opaque processes and provide a mobile-first, self-serve experience for it remains to be seen how pricing experiments like these evolve in the long term, the data suggests a growing appetite for frictionless international travel—particularly among India's younger, increasingly mobile population.
