Colombo: Sri Lanka will provide visa-free access to 35 countries, including UAE, starting October 1, according to Harin Fernando, advisor to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, as reported by the Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror.
The list of countries includes the Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman and 32 other nations. Notable countries on the list include the United States, the United Kingdom, India, China, Israel, New Zealand, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, and Australia.
This new policy allows tourists from these nations to stay in Sri Lanka for up to 30 days without a visa, with the visa-free access valid for six months.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Saudi Arabia ranked third in potential tourism markets for Sri Lanka and 23rd in terms of tourist exports in June 2024. The visa-free policy aims to enhance bilateral ties and promote increased travel and economic exchange.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry welcomed the move, calling it a significant step toward a visa-free regime. "First steps towards a visa-free regime!" Sabry stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In a follow-up post, Sabry shared data from the Sri Lankan Tourism Authority, highlighting a resurgence in tourism. Pre-COVID tourism figures showed 2,333,796 visitors in 2018 and 1,913,702 in 2019, with a decline during the pandemic years. Recent data indicate that tourism has rebounded to 1,487,303 in 2023 and 1,315,884 so far in 2024.
Sabry expressed optimism that the island nation would return to pre-COVID tourism levels, stating, "We are well on course to achieve the pre-COVID level. @SriLanka can - Sri Lanka will!"
In other news, Sri Lanka will elect a new president on September 21. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who assumed office in July 2022 following the resignation of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential polls.
However, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the largest party in Parliament and associated with the Rajapaksa brothers, has decided not to support Wickremesinghe and will field its own candidate.
