Final 12 months, Sri Lanka launched an initiative to spice up tourism income by issuing free visas to nationals from seven key markets. After acquiring very constructive outcomes, the Asian nation determined to increase its visa-free program to residents from 35 nations beginning Oct. 1, 2024.
The total listing of beneficiaries contains Kazakhstan, Belgium, Thailand, Oman, Sweden, Russia, the Netherlands, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Qatar, Switzerland, Spain, Iran, France, Poland, the UAE, Austria, South Korea, Belarus, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Denmark, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Canada, Italy, america, India (Sri Lanka’s largest supply market), the UK, Germany and China.
With this new scheme, Sri Lanka seeks to make the island extra interesting to worldwide vacationers throughout a trial interval of six months.
Tourism on this nation suffered a extreme setback in 2019 when 9 suicide bombers from a neighborhood Islamist extremist group linked to ISIS carried out a collection of devastating assaults in opposition to three Catholic church buildings and several other luxurious accommodations, killing over 270 innocents and injuring greater than 500, together with residents and guests.
Since then, the sector has been slowly recovering, producing as much as $1.5 billion within the first semester of this 12 months.
What does visa-free journey entail?
Touring to a rustic with a visa-free journey program means you do not want to acquire a visa earlier than departure or upon arrival. This streamlines journey and saves you some bucks on visa charges.
Why Journey to Sri Lanka in 2024?
Sri Lanka isn’t like different Asian international locations. This small island, situated within the south of India, boasts an unique mixture of sun-kissed seashores, inexperienced mountains, lush forests, and unimaginable wildlife, together with whales, leopards, elephants and monkeys.
However that’s not all. This island additionally affords a myriad of journey sports activities, nice wholesome meals, and countless festivities all year long.
Like every other tropical vacation spot, Sri Lanka’s climate is unpredictable, however not realizing if it’s going to be sunny or wet can add to the journey.
Nonetheless, for those who favor dry days, go to the nation between December and mid-April. However keep in mind that airfare and lodging costs are larger throughout this era as a result of it’s Sri Lanka’s peak season.
