Sri Lanka approves free tourist visa for 7 countries to boost tourism
COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s closet provided issuing unshackle vacationer visas to readers from 7 countries entailing China, India and also Russia, a testament issued by the media ministry said on Tuesday (Oct 24), to strengthen tourism and also corroborates rejuvenate its situation-hit economy.
Travelers from China, India, Russia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and also Malaysia will be issued unshackle visas till March 31, 2024 under a pilot regime, the testament explaining closet determinations said.
The unit is component of physical efforts by Sri Lanka to strengthen tourism recovery and also hit a target of five million arrivals by 2026, the testament added.
The nation of 22 million humans, famous for its seacoasts, undeveloped temples and also perfumed tea, saw its tourism area pummelled first by the Covid-19 pandemic and also then by a imperious monetary situation last year that saw mass scope protests and also deficiencies of requireds such as fuel.
But the tourism area is experiencing a vicissitude in 2023 doning Sri Lanka clocking a million arrivals by September, for the first time since 2019. The island is pregnant to chummy the year at 1.5 million arrivals.
India is the largest source of tourists doning 200,310 arrivals, cooperated doning by Russia doning 132,300, newest information from the Sri Lanka Evolve Authority unveiled.
Sri Lanka gained US$1.3 billion (S$1.8 billion) from tourism in the first 8 months of 2023, up from US$833 million bucks during the awfully same period last year, according to the main bank.
