In a surprise move, Hong Kong has withdrawn the no travel visa policy for Indians from January next year.
Now, Indian tourists will have to pre-register to enter the SAR (Special Administrative Regions) of China. So far, for a 15-day stay, there were no formalities as the SAR allowed to land in Hong Kong without any visa formalities.
It was learned that the step may have been taken as the no visa facility may have been abused by some.
Hong Kong har en aktiv turistrepresentation i Indien för att främja turismen till det populära resmålet, som också fungerar som en språngbräda för resor till Macau. I en annan utveckling har Thailand gjort resor av indianer lite billigare genom att sänka visumavgiften vid landning.
It is to be seen in days to come if these two developments will lessen travel by Indians to Hong Kong and to Thailand.
