Free visa scheme to come into effect only after Immigration Dept. gazette: SLTDA

1 November 2023 12:11 am - 4 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said yesterday that the free visa programme for seven countries that received the Cabinet nod recently will only come into effect after the Department of Immigration and Emigration publishes a gazette on the same.
While the Cabinet decision initially announced that visas would be offered free-of-charge to citizens of India, Russia, China, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand with immediate effect, the actual implementation is expected to take place in the coming week, likely on November 7.

The free visa scheme for the seven countries will be offered till 31 March 2024.
Speaking to reporters in Colombo yesterday, SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando said the original proposal for free visa was made only for three countries, namely India, Russia, and China, as they are the largest tourist traffic generators for Sri Lanka.
He said it is unclear as to why markets such as Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, and Indonesia were added to the list.

“The proposal from the SLTDA and the Tourism Ministry was to offer free visas for India, China, and Russia. The decision was made after having analysed what appeals to those markets, and this is where majority of arrivals are from. We are unsure how others were added to the list,” he said.
The final list was compiled by a committee headed by the Prime Minister’s office. According to Fernando, no consultations were made with the SLTDA prior to tabling the same.
For the first nine months of the year ending 30 September, India contributed 19.7 percent to the total tourist arrivals, whereas Russia accounted for 13 percent of the arrivals, and China, 4.6 percent.
Meanwhile, for the first 29 days of October, tourist arrivals to the island nation totalled 102, 423, bringing the year-to-date arrival to 1,118,679.

Comments - 4

Hiran Wednesday, 01 November 2023 08:56 AM

Another example of tardy beaurecrats. Summary dismissal for incompetence and sabotage.

MirakRajBanda Wednesday, 01 November 2023 09:01 AM

Do you know what happned in Berlin Summit where Ranil Wickramsinghe took part few months back? Kenyan president rose up, ''Kenya is the birth place of evolution of mankind and therefore the motherland all of the humanity. I declare that you don't need a visa to enter to Kenya anywhere from the earth''. Ranil Wickramasinghe took his turn, ''have you heard of Adam's Peak? You know why it's called Adam's Peak? First man ever created by the God, as the Christians and Muslims believe, was descended from heavens to earth was in Sri Lanka. As other major religions Buddhism and Hiduism belive the footprint marked on the peak was of Buddha and Shiva. So the fatherland of all mankind is Sri Lanka. I declare you don't need a visa to enter Sri Lanka from now on''. Good move I believe.

Christo255 Wednesday, 01 November 2023 09:28 AM

Ha ha ha why am I not surprised. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand does. Wouldn't it have been better if this was coordinated and implemented before saying with immediate effect and then retracting later. Typical Sri Lankan officials and ministers

Olga Friday, 10 November 2023 08:18 PM

Unfortunately, free visa programme is NOT FREE yet. Tourists from RF still pay 60 $ No immediate effect, unfortunately.....

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Free visa scheme to come into effect only after Immigration Dept. gazette: SLTDA

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