Sri Lanka to issue visa on arrival for free for some countries

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Tourism Ministry said on Friday that preparations are underway to issue visa on arrival free of charge for tourists from multiple countries from May 1, to boost arrivals during lean months.

Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga told local media that the countries which will be granted this facility are Thailand, Britain, Australia, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and countries of the European Union.

He said following its successful implementation, the facility would be extended to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries and China, which was one of the leading markets for Sri Lanka Tourism.

The SAARC countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The minister said the facility would initially be implemented for a trial period of six months and depending on the success rate, it would be further extended with more features to make Sri Lanka an attractive destination for tourists.

Sri Lanka is aiming to attract at least 3 million tourists and earn a revenue of 5 billion US dollars this year.