Editor,

I read with keen interest your article, "Regional tourist visa unveiled in Turkey” (Sunday Times, June 29).

This is indeed a great initiative towards promoting tourism and enhancing visitor arrivals into the East African Community (EAC). 

Both Kenya and Uganda have a very large number of people of Indian origin settled there. Consequently, there are a substantial number of Indian arrivals for what is termed as "visiting friends and relatives”—the VFR segment. 

Therefore, unveiling the regional tourist visa in India will enhance, substantially, visitor arrivals into Rwanda. Also, Indians visiting friends and relatives in Kenya and Uganda would be encouraged to visit Rwanda with the same EAC visa. 

The Indian Merchants’ Chamber, a Premier Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the country and headquartered in Mumbai, the country’s commercial capital, would be very pleased to support a programme of unveiling the regional tourist visa in India.  

Clarence Fernandes, Co-Chairman, Indian Merchants’ Chamber,Mumbai, India