Tourism minister John Penrose has welcomed a move that will see a set of guidance notes for UK visitor visa applications translated into the local language of key overseas markets.

In a bid to support the UK's inbound industry, the UK Border Agency has published notes to assist with the application process in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Russian, Thai and Turkish. In March 2011, the government pledged to provide guidance translated into local languages "wherever possible" as part of efforts to increase inbound visitor numbers to the UK.

Penrose said: "The government has pledged to clear away as many of the obstacles that make life difficult for overseas tourist visitors as it can, and this is an important - and much needed - step in the right direction. "These translated guidance notes for visitor visas will make the visa application process more straightforward for tourists and business visitors from the key markets of India, China, Russia, Turkey, Thailand and the Gulf States."