Sri Lanka Launches Free Tourist Visas for 35 Countries to Boost Tourism

Sri Lanka has launched a six-month pilot program offering free 30-day tourist visas to visitors from 35 countries, including China, India, and Russia. The initiative aims to stimulate tourism and aid in economic recovery. The nation hopes to transform into a free visa destination like Singapore.

Sri Lanka's cabinet has greenlit a plan to issue free tourist visas to travelers from 35 countries, including China, India, and Russia, in a bid to stimulate tourism and revive its beleaguered economy. Cabinet spokesperson and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana confirmed this on Thursday.

The initiative will see tourists being granted 30-day visas starting from October 1 for a trial period of six months. 'The aim is to transform Sri Lanka into a free visa country, akin to Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, to capitalize on the booming tourism industry,' Gunawardana stated during a weekly cabinet briefing.

Sri Lanka, renowned for its pristine beaches and ancient temples, suffered a tourism downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a financial crisis in 2022. Despite these challenges, the island nation is experiencing a strong tourism rebound, boasting nearly 2 million arrivals by mid-August and expecting to close the year at 2.3 million. India leads as the largest source of tourists, followed by the UK. The central bank reported $1.5 billion in tourism revenue for the first half of 2024, up from $875 million the previous year.

(With inputs from agencies.)