The new deal means that the company will not only be providing tourist and commercial visa services, but also national visa services, according to the announcement from the outsourcing service provider for government and diplomatic missions worldwide, EU Helpers reported.
The choice is being made as part of initiatives to simplify immigration and travel procedures.
Shikhar Aggarwal, the joint managing director of BLS International Services Ltd., praised the government of Slovakia for picking this business as its outsourcing partner for visa processing.
"In keeping with the fundamental tenets of the Schengen Agreement, we are enthusiastic to improve the visa application process for everyone, creating new standards for the sector and focusing on the needs of the customer. We are eager to participate as Slovakia develops into a captivating and intriguing new travel destination that significantly contributes to the expansion of the tourist sector. Aggarwal, Shikhar
He claimed that this endeavor is in line with the organization's basic values of excellence, security, and efficiency.
2.64 million people traveled to Slovakia in total in 2021, according to BLS International Services Ltd, and the figure is projected to rise in line with travel patterns.
According to data from the European Office for Statistics, or Eurostat, the tourism industry in EU nations greatly recovered last year in many of them, but in Slovakia, it didn't fully recover from COVID-related constraints.
Slovakia welcomed 12.3 million tourists in total in 2018, which is still less than 2019 numbers, at which time the nation saw 17.2 million visitors (-28.3%). However, it is anticipated that this year would draw more tourists and aid the country's tourism industry in recovering from the harm done by the spread of COVID-19 and the limitations put in place to stop it from spreading further.
The company works with other Schengen Zone nations besides Slovakia. The business currently offers a variety of visa and consular services as a result of partnerships with Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
Spain expanded its partnership with BLS International Ltd. earlier this year. In order to continue processing visa requests after the contract between Spain and the business from December 2016 expired at the start of this year, the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation approved a resolution to award BLS with a new visa processing contract.