COLOMBO: Sri Lanka announced that it will grant a one-month free visa on arrival to visitors from nearly 50 countries. The tourism industry of Sri Lanka was badly hit by the Easter bomb attacks that killed 263 people.
Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said tourists or those visiting for business purposes could get their free visa on arrival or applying online. The measure will be effective for six months, starting from Thursday.
He said the government expects a substantial increase of tourists from the move. “If it is not beneficial we will suspend this program,” he said.
Sri Lanka charges $35 for a one-month tourist visa, or $20 for nationals from South Asia.
According to government data, about 2.3 million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2018, when 29 airlines offered 300 flights per week. After the attacks, 41 fights per week were canceled, amounting to a loss of 8,000 passenger seats. Several airlines have reinstated their normal schedules since then, but others have not.
Tourism accounts for 4.9% of Sri Lanka’s GDP. Around half a million Sri Lankans depend directly on tourism and 2 million indirectly.
The government currently predicts $3.7 billion in revenue from tourism this year, down from an initial forecast of $5 billion.
Tourist arrivals declined by about 45% in July from a year earlier. However, arrivals in July, which stood at 117,000, showed a moderate increase compared to 63,072 in June.
(Agencies)
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