Visitors from India, 6 other countries to be given free Sri Lankan tourist visas
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Colombo: In an attempt to revive the debt-ridden island nation's tourism industry, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry announced on October 24 that the Sri Lankan Cabinet had approved the policy to grant free tourist visas to visitors from India and six other nations.
This will be done as a pilot project, according to a statement by Foreign Minister Sabry, and it will last until March 31, 2024.
The Cabinet approved free entry to travellers from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand with immediate effect. Tourists from these countries will be able to obtain visas when visiting Sri Lanka, without a fee. India is traditionally Sri Lanka’s top inbound tourism market.
In the September arrival figures, India topped with more than 30,000 arrivals or 26% with Chinese tourists trailing at more than 8,000 arrivals as the second largest group.
Tourist arrivals to the island had slumped since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that left 270 persons, including 11 Indians, dead and more than 500 injured.
With PTI inputs