Chandigarh, March 7 : Visa application volumes from Chandigarh in 2023 remained strong and exceeded pre-pandemic levels, as outbound travel continued to surge.

The visa application volume from Chandigarh registered a 20 per cent year-on-year growth in 2023, VFS Global said on Wednesday.

When compared to the pre-pandemic numbers, visa application volumes from Chandigarh exceeded the 2019 levels by 22 per cent.

The demand pattern in Chandigarh was in line with the overall growth trend seen in India. In comparison to the pre-pandemic figures, visa application volumes from India reached 93 per cent of the 2019 levels.

'We continued to witness robust demand from India and the entire South Asia region in 2023, which led to an extended peak outbound travel season with steady volumes witnessed throughout the year," said Vishal Jairath, Head (South Asia), VFS Global.

A few of the popular destinations preferred by travellers from India in 2023 were Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

Strong demand for personalised services continued to be a defining trend in the 2023 visa application pattern as well.

/IANS