Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved a plan to issue free 30-day tourist visas to visitors from 35 countries, including key markets such as China, India, and Russia. The move, announced on Thursday by Cabinet spokesman and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana, is part of the government’s efforts to revive the crisis-hit economy through a boost in tourism.
The six-month pilot program, which will begin on October 1, 2024, aims to encourage more visitors to the island nation as it continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe economic crisis in 2022.
“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,” Gunawardana stated during the weekly cabinet briefing.
The extensive list of countries benefiting from the new policy includes India, China, the UK, Germany, Russia, Japan, France, Australia, and several others from across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. These countries are crucial sources of tourists to Sri Lanka, which is famed for its beaches, ancient temples, and aromatic tea.
Tourism, once a key driver of the Sri Lankan economy, had been severely impacted by the pandemic and a financial crisis that saw widespread protests and shortages of essentials such as fuel. However, since last year, the industry has shown signs of recovery, with nearly 2 million arrivals recorded by mid-August 2024, the highest figure since 2019.
India remains the largest source of tourists, contributing 246,922 arrivals so far, followed by the UK with 123,992 visitors, according to the Sri Lanka Development Authority.
Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings have also seen significant growth, with the central bank reporting $1.5 billion in revenue during the first half of 2024, a substantial increase from $875 million in the same period the previous year.
The government hopes that this free visa initiative will further boost arrivals, with the goal of reaching 2.3 million tourists by the end of the year, solidifying Sri Lanka’s recovery and helping stabilize its 22 million-strong population.
With its tourism industry back on track, Sri Lanka is looking to position itself alongside other popular Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand and Vietnam, where visa-free policies have long been used to attract international visitors.
