Sri Lanka approves free visa scheme for India, China, Russia; US not on list

 

Sri Lanka's cabinet has granted approval for a novel initiative, offering complimentary visas to travelers from seven countries, which include India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. The announcement was made by Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, who disclosed that this free visa program commenced immediately as a pilot project and is slated to continue until March 31.

The primary objective of this initiative, as per Sri Lanka's Ministry of Tourism, is to enhance tourism by attracting a larger number of visitors to the country. The ministry expressed its aspirations to achieve a five million tourist arrivals target in the forthcoming years.

Additionally, this move is anticipated to streamline the visa application process, saving both time and money for prospective travelers.

Last week, the Ministry of Tourism had divulged its plan to present a proposal in a Cabinet meeting to extend free tourist visas to travelers from five select countries. Reportedly, this cabinet proposal was jointly submitted by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry.

Furthermore, the Cabinet has put forward plans to implement an e-ticketing system for most tourist attractions in the country in the near future, as reported by local media.