The Sri Lankan Cabinet has greenlit a groundbreaking initiative to boost tourism and economic recovery by offering free visas to visitors from seven key countries. Effective immediately, tourists from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand can now obtain Sri Lankan visas without incurring any charges. The pilot project, which commenced immediately, will extend until March 31, 2024.
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, took to Twitter to make the exciting announcement, stating, “Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March.” The move represents a significant step forward in Sri Lanka’s efforts to revitalize its tourism industry.
India has historically been Sri Lanka’s primary source of inbound tourism. In recent statistics for September, India led the way with more than 30,000 arrivals, accounting for 26 percent of the total. Chinese tourists followed as the second-largest group, with over 8,000 arrivals.
This initiative comes as a crucial measure to recover the island nation’s tourism sector, which had suffered a significant setback since the tragic Easter Sunday bombings in 2019. These devastating events resulted in the loss of 270 lives, including 11 Indians, and left over 500 individuals injured.
Sri Lanka has faced a series of economic challenges since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, and it is currently experiencing political turmoil marked by protests demanding the resignation of President Rajapaksa. The economic crisis has led to critical shortages of basic necessities, including food, medicine, cooking gas, other fuels, toilet paper, and even matches. Long queues have become a common sight as Sri Lankans wait for hours outside stores to purchase fuel and cooking gas due to these shortages.
The Ministry of Tourism introduced a Cabinet Paper during the preceding Cabinet meeting, proposing the provision of complimentary tourist visas to travelers from these seven countries seeking to visit Sri Lanka for tourism. This innovative move aims to reinvigorate Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and boost its economic recovery.
As Sri Lanka extends a warm welcome to tourists from these nations with free visas, the nation’s efforts are geared toward reviving its tourism sector and economic stability.
