Discerning travellers choose health, safety & convenience for visa applications
- Data analysis by VFS Global reflects more than 6x spike in travellers from India opting for optional premium visas services without visiting a visa application centre
Chennai, September 06, 2021: With international travel opening in a phased manner amidst pandemic-induced restrictions being lifted, data analysis of visas processed over the past six months indicate the emergence of a discerning set of travellers opting for premium services for a safe and convenient travel experience.
This trend comes to light as a result of a significant increase in customers requesting for the Visa At Your Doo step (VAYD), service offered by VFS Global. This optional service empowers customers to complete their entire visa application submission process from the comfort of their homes or any other location of their choice. Thr ough this premium service, customers can submit their application, enroll for biometrics, and get the passport couriered back to their location of choice.
According to data analysis by VFS Global, foreign-bound travellers from India that opted for VAYD services grew by more than six times between January and July this year. Given international borders began to reopen only in June following the set back caused by the second wave until May, the number has more than doubled in just over a month.
“Touchless travel with an enhanced focus on safety and well-being are key to customers today. The uptick in VAYD services is another great indication of changing customer preferences. With the digital consumer experience evolving rapidly, we foresee a higher demand for such premium services that enable our customers to prioritise safe travel,” said Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO – South Asia, Middle East & North Africa and Americas, VFS Global.
The data trends also indicate large group bookings (in thousands) from relatively smaller markets such as Goa and Kochi. VAYD beneficiaries also comprised of CXOs, and celebrities from sports and the film industry.
Currently, the VAYD service is available to Indian travelers visiting UK, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Portugal, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
About VFS Global
VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 3532 Application Centres, operations in 143 countries across five continents and over 231 million applications processed (since inception in 2001) as on 31 July 2021, VFS Global is the trusted par tn er of 62 client governments. The company manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to ap plications for visa, passport and consular services for its client governments, enabling them to focus entirely on the critical task of assessment.
VFS Global is majority-owned by the global investment organisation EQT. The Swiss-based Kuoni and Huge nto bler Foundation holds a minority stake in VFS Global. EQT is a global investment organisation with offices in Eur ope, North America and Asia-Pacific and a 27-year track record of consistent investment performance across multiple geographies, sectors, and strategies. EQT AB Group is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange. EQT manages and advises a range of specialized investment funds and other investment vehicles that invest ac ross the world with the mission to generate attractive returns and future-proof companies. EQT funds’ investors do not influence portfolio companies’ decision making or strategies. Nor do they have access to private and co nfidential business assets or client and customer data.
