Sri Lanka has decided to extend the free visa-on-arrival
scheme till April 30 for the citizens of 48 countries, including India, Tourism
Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said.
"We have decided to extend this facility due to
requests from the stakeholders. A Cabinet paper would be submitted for this
purpose," Ranatunga has said.
The tourism industry in Sri Lanka has urged the government
to continue the fee-free visa regime, as it has been helpful to recover from
the post-Easter Sunday setback. They have pointed out that the any loss of
revenue to Government from granting free visa is insignificant considering the
net $ 4.4 billion income the industry brings in as foreign exchange earnings.
The Sri Lankan government launched the program to grant
one-month free visa to visitors from 48 countries on 1st of August this year
until January this year as an effort to boost the tourism industry that was
badly hit by the Easter bomb attacks that killed 263 people.
Nationals from Thailand, European Union nations, the United
States, Australia, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia,
Switzerland, Cambodia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Russia
are among the 48 nations included in the measure.
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