Tourism Update – Enjoy Visa Free Holiday Travel in Sri Lanka
Great news for Indian travelers planning a holiday in Sri Lanka! In an effort to boost its tourism sector, Sri Lanka introduced a new initiative, granting visa-free travel to tourists from India and six other countries.
Sri Lanka’s economy suffered a major crisis in the recent years from which it is still recuperating. The Easter Bombings in 2019, COVID pandemic of 2020-21 and the financial crisis suffered by the country last year, dealt a blow to the country’s economy, affecting the tourism sector among others. In a move to improve Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, the government decided among other measures to promote tourism and has introduced a visa-free pilot project for tourists coming to Sri Lanka from seven countries. These countries include India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. The visa-free travel remains in effect from October 24, 2024 till March 31, 2025.
Sri Lanka, with its new initiative for travel hopes to generate revenue with an aim to attract at least 2 million foreign travelers this year. As much as 2 lakh Indian tourists traveled to Sri Lanka this year till September, forming a good twenty-percent of the country’s foreign travelers, making India a favored source market for tourism for the country. By introducing such a move, Sri Lanka’s government hopes for a boost in travelers, especially from India
