In an attempt to boost its tourism sector, Sri Lanka has approved free tourist visas for visitors from 35 nations. According to the policy, tourists from India, China, the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France and more will be given 30-day visas under a six-month pilot programme that will start from Oct. 1
According to the Cabinet spokesman and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana, “The aim of the government is to transform Sri Lanka into a free visa country, much like Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to tap into the benefits of a rapidly growing tourism industry.” Sri Lanka is a small island of with a population of around 22 million and is renowned for its exotic beaches and ancient temples. It has witnessed a tremendous rise in its tourism sector since COVID-19.
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According to Reuters, there have been more than 2 million tourists in the first half of 2024 for the first time since 2019. Further, they are expecting that tourist visits will grow to 2.3 million by the end of this year. The country earned a total of $1.5 billion in the first half of 2024, which is $875 million higher than the previous year. Further, the Sri Lanka Development Authority mentioned they get maximum tourism from India, scoring around 2,46,922 arrivals, followed by the UK with 123,992 visitors.
