British-Irish Visa Scheme Announced

The UK government has announced a new British-Irish Visa scheme that will allow visitors from China and India to travel freely between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland's Enterprise and Tourism Minister Arlene Foster has said the new scheme would "make it easier for Chinese and Indian visitors to come to Northern Ireland through the Republic of Ireland as well as through Great Britain.

"The scheme is the result of a high level of collaboration on work to strengthen the common travel area and move to better, common standards for border and visa issuance and was a commitment within the Economic Pact. By cutting down on the level of bureaucracy and restrictions people face we are ensuring a visit to Northern Ireland is more attractive than ever," she said.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: "The introduction of the British-Irish Visa Scheme is really good news, making it easier than ever before for visitors from China and India to visit Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland. It is a significant step in helping us to grow visitor numbers from these markets – whether those visitors wish to travel here for sightseeing, golf or as business tourists.

"For the island of Ireland, the majority of our overseas visitors come from Great Britain, North America and Mainland Europe, and while this will continue, it is important that we expand our focus beyond these markets and look to the long-term opportunities presented by new tourism markets, particularly China and India, which we believe will play an increasingly important role for travel and tourism. Given that visitors from these markets are travelling a considerable distance, and often want to include more than one destination on their itinerary, it makes sense to make it as easy as possible for them to visit both Ireland and the UK on a single visa. We will be working closely with our colleagues in VisitBritain, to leverage the benefits of the new scheme in both India and China."

(IT/MH)