SINGAPORE, 1 November 2023: Sri Lanka introduced a pilot project last week that issues free tourist visas to nationals from China, India, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan unti 31 March 2024, the country’s government news portal reported on 24 October 2023.
The country hopes the visa deal will kick-start tourism recovery and help it achieve 5 million visitors annually by 2026.
The Cabinet also confirmed it was pursuing “opportunities to ease access and reduce queues for foreigners visiting world heritage and historical sites by introducing a single payment package ticket for all the relevant heritage sites. It will also ensure travellers can buy the ticket at the airport through an online App.
Sri Lanka Railways’ tourist coaches will also adopt an online system to allow visitors to purchase rail travel at the airport and obtain tickets.
The short-term strategies to promote the tourism industry are based on a joint proposal presented by the Minister of Tourism and Lands and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Cabinet.
They noted that Asian destinations are competing to raise their tourism earnings, which had fallen due to the Covid pandemic, and many of them are taking steps to provide visa-free entry to tourists.
“Several new tourism promotion programmes will help to revive the Sri Lankan tourism industry in response to the serious economic crisis,” the Cabinet of Ministers noted in a press statement.
