As many as 277 immigration officers, most of them from the police, have been trained by the ministry to maintain the “highest standards of courtesy and warmth” while receiving visitors. The training includes lessons on behavioural aspects, cross-cultural communication, manners and etiquette. It also focuses on aspects like positive attitude, group behaviour, and stress and time management.
“Immigration officials play an important role in the overall experience of the tourists as they represent the first face of the country and we only get one chance to make the first impression,” said tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee.

As the officials are mainly from a police background, they have a different orientation from that required in the tourism industry. The objective of the training is to focus on enhancement in behavioural aspects of immigration officials, he said.

The programme to train the immigration officials was planned in 2009 under the ministry’s endeavour to provide a quality, everlasting experience to tourists in India.