Sri Lanka has announced visa-free entry for Indian tourists under a pilot project that has begun with immediate effect until March 21, 2024.
Apart from India, six other countries have been added in the list. They are: China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
Ali Sabry Tweet:
The country’s foreign affairs minister Ali Sabry made the announcement on Tuesday (Oct 24) on social media platform X.
Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia & Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March –
— M U M Ali Sabry (@alisabrypc) October 24, 2023
“Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia & Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March,” he said.
The move comes five days after a proposal was made in this regard during a Cabinet meeting last week to give free tourist visas to foreigners from five countries who intend to visit Sri Lanka as tourists.
Lanka’s economy relies on tourism:
Sri Lanka’s economy heavily relies on inbound tourism, with India accounting for the majority of tourist arrivals.
The move is aimed to attracting more tourists to the island nation. “We are expecting to increase tourist arrivals to five million over the coming years,” the ministry was quoted as saying in Sri Lankan media outlets.
India’s People Visit Sri Lanka:
In September, India led with more than 30,000 arrivals, comprising 26 per cent of the total, while Chinese tourists followed as the second-largest group with over 8,000 arrivals
Sri Lanka E Ticket For Tourist:
Apart from that, the Cabinet also proposed an e-ticketing system for most of the tourist sites in Sri Lanka in the near future.
The proposed free visas and e-ticketing system will save money and time spent on obtaining visas, the statement read.
The development also comes a month after Ali Sabry in an exclusive interview with ANI news agency said that Sri Lanka is looking at forging a closer relationship with India while adding they are trying for electricity, renewable energy, tourism and port shipping connectivity.
Countries Which Offer Visa Free Entry For Indian Visitors:
Several other countries offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements for Indian visitors, such as Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoros, Djibouti, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao (SAR China), Madagascar and many more.
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