Starting October 1, Sri Lanka will offer visa-free access to travelers from 35 countries, including India. This initiative, announced by Harin Fernando, advisor to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, aims to boost tourism and ease travel restrictions. The list of countries includes major global players such as the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Israel, New Zealand, and Australia. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry praised this move as a significant step towards a visa-free system, highlighting recent data that shows a resurgence in tourist numbers following the pandemic.
Tourism figures have seen a rebound, with 1,487,303 visitors in 2023 and 1,315,884 so far in 2024, compared to pre-pandemic numbers of 2,333,796 in 2018 and 1,913,702 in 2019. Sabry is optimistic that Sri Lanka will soon return to its pre-Covid tourism levels. In political news, Sri Lanka is preparing for a presidential election on September 21, with current President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking re-election. However, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has nominated a rival candidate, marking a shift in political support.
