Travel agents have expressed happiness towards easing of travel for Indians seeking to fly from the UAE after new COVID-19 protocols issued by the Indian government.

On October 20, Indian ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued revised protocols for inbound international passengers. As per the updated protocols effective from October 25, passengers are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test report conducted within 72 hours of departure of flight.

While no major changes have been announced for passengers arriving in India from the UAE, the government has created a country-wise classification based on the COVID-19 situation in those countries.

Notably, passengers arriving in India have been classified into two categories: passengers travelling from 'at risk countries' and passengers from 'all other countries'.

The ministry has clarified that the listing of specified countries is subject to changes on the basis of evolving pandemic situation across the world.

"Business travellers will benefit from the revised guidelines for international arrivals in India," said Mir Wasim Raja, manager, International Travel Services.

Wasim added that a large number of tourists from India and Europe are coming to the UAE with the aim of visiting Expo 2020 Dubai.

"Expo is one of the major attractions in the UAE currently. Tourists are very eager to get a glimpse of new attractions in Dubai, like Ain Dubai and Madame Tussauds," he underlined.

Taha Siddique, owner of Siddique Travels based in the Indian state of Karnataka highlighted that the new reform will provide relief to travellers.

With the vacation period going, a large number of travellers are flying to the UAE to visit Expo 2020 Dubai, sightseeing and shopping. Since the 48-hour PCR test was troublesome with travellers busy in last-minute shopping and packing, the new protocol 72-hour validity for PCR test will help passengers in enjoying their stay better, he added.

Jaffer Sadiq, a businessman from Bangalore, stated that he often travels to Dubai for business and work with a tight schedule. Speaking with the media, he noted that it was hectic to get the PCR test done in 48 hours as he only travels for 3-5 days on a regular basis.

"A few times, I had forgotten to do the PCR before returning to India. But the lab people were helpful in providing the results in just 4 hours," he added.