Sri Lanka keeps trust in free visa regime.
As a country, making efforts to build up the country through the field of Tourism, Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is looking to extend the free Visa regime for tourists beyond March this year based on the success of the pilot programme.
The pilot project came into effect from late last November in offering free visas for the first 30 days of stay for nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan until 31 March this year in a bid to rebuild the tourism sector.
Originally, the pilot program was to include only India. With plans to extend visa exemptions to more countries, the neighbouring giant remains a top priority, given the significance of the country as a key all-year-round source market for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry” said Tourism Minister, Harin Fernando to the Indian media.
Minister Harin Fernando stressed on the importance of further streamlining travel processes to attract more Indian tourists and encourage repeat visits, especially in a time where/when travelers have numerous options.
SLTDA Director General B.H.R. Sariffo Deen said that a final decision on the extension along with specifics is expected to be reached ‘very soon’, following the discussions with the Tourism Minister and other relevant authorities.
Also, he added, “In December, there was a marked increase in tourist arrivals from all countries under the pilot program rose significantly”.
Reports of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is off to a promising start in 2024, marking a robust start surpassing 200,000 arrivals in January after four years.
Sri Lanka welcomes 208,253 visitors in January, the highest in 4 years. January performance reflects year-on-year (YoY) increase of 103.1%, but still 13% lower compared to same period in the benchmark year 2018.
As per provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a total of 208,253 tourists arrived in January 2024. However, January arrivals could not achieve the 241,962 set target or 210,352 recorded in December – the highest for a month since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
According to reports of SLTDA, building on the robust momentum gained in 2023, where Sri Lanka welcomed almost 1.5 million visitors and surpassed $ 2 billion in earnings since 2019, the SLTDA has set an ambitious target of 2.3 million tourists and aims to generate over $ 4 billion in revenue for 2024.
As end of March marks the end of the so-called peak season, tourism authorities are targeting to increase footfalls by offering them the convenience of a stress-free vacation with a simple check-in process in particular to attract tourists who may incline for spontaneous and last-minute travel plans.
Number of popular travel destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia , China and Iran have launched similar programs to support their tourism sectors, while more destinations such Indonesia and Vietnam are expected to join the bandwagon, in particular targeting emerging out-bound tourism market such as India.
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