Sri Lanka Launches Visa-On-Arrival Program To Boost Tourism

Known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” Sri Lanka boasts eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, distinctive architecture, a rich cultural heritage, idyllic beaches and plentiful wildlife. This island nation literally has something for everyone, which makes the latest news welcome to international travelers. The nation has made it easier for citizens of 35 countries to get a free visa on arrival in the country.

Sri Lanka pilots a free visa-on-arrival program

With everything the island nation already has to offer, the introduction of a free, 30-day tourist visa for visitors from 35 countries is an added bonus. Set to launch on October 1, 2024, the new initiative will temporarily drop the standard $50 visa fee for eligible world travelers. Moreover, the initiative will run for six months, ending in April 2025.

Visitors from the 35 select countries, including the US, will be issued free tourist visas on arrival in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the visa program is available to tourists from the South Asian country’s major travel markets, which include the United States, the United Kingdom, India, China and Russia.

Positioning itself as a leading travel destination

Sri Lankan Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana made the announcement during a cabinet briefing on August 22. He said that the initiative represents part of the country’s broader efforts to position itself as a leading travel destination, saying:

The aim of the government is to transform Sri Lanka into a free-visa country, much like Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, to tap into the benefits of a rapidly growing tourism industry.

Moreover, the timing of the new program lines up with Sri Lanka’s peak travel season, which runs from December to mid-April. This time of year is when the island nation offers the best weather. The beautiful island was among those countries that were badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following this, 2022 saw the country hit by a severe financial crisis, setting off major protests, with its population of 22 million people struggling to find essentials, including food and fuel.

Now, the country is putting all that in its rearview mirror and over the past year has witnessed a resurgence in tourism. Almost 1.2 million travelers visited Sri Lanka between January and July of 2024. Moreover, this was a dramatic increase from the 720,000 visitors who traveled there during 2022.

Tourism revenue increases

According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, tourism revenue for the first half of 2024 exceeded $1.5 billion. This was approximately $625 million more than tourism generated in the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, much of this tourism growth hails from India, the United Kingdom and Russia, the top three sources of world visitors to the island nation.

Moreover, this isn’t the first time Sri Lanka has offered travelers free visas, as a similar, six-month visa waiver program ran in 2019. At that stage, the program was launched to revitalize tourism after the devastating Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Colombo.

Now, as the country bounces back from the dual challenges of the pandemic and the 2022 financial difficulties, its government is once again relying on tourism to help stabilize the economy.

What other changes has Sri Lanka made?

Besides the free visa program, Sri Lanka has launched several other initiatives to attract international travelers. One is the recent opening of the Pekoe Trail, a scenic hiking route through the country’s famous tea plantations.

Moreover,  new boutique hotels have opened, including Kayaam House, and new wellness retreats like Taprana, both of which cater to luxury travelers. Moreover, Sri Lanka’s southern coast, previously overlooked, is quickly becoming a popular hotspot with its high-end resorts, trendy bars and surf clubs, drawing lifestyle and adventure tourists alike.

Is your country on the list?

According to VisasNews, the full list of countries to benefit from the free visa-on-arrival program is included below:

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.