Last year, Sri Lanka launched an initiative to increase tourism revenue by providing free visas to nationals from seven major markets. After achieving very positive results, the Asian country decided to expand its visa-free program to citizens from 35 countries from October 1, 2024.
The full list of beneficiaries includes Kazakhstan, Belgium, Thailand, Oman, Sweden, Russia, Netherlands, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Qatar, Switzerland, Spain, Iran, France, Poland, UAE, Austria, South Korea, Belarus, New Zealand , Czech Republic, Malaysia, Denmark, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Canada, Italy, United States, India (Sri Lanka’s largest source market), United Kingdom, Germany and China.
With this new arrangement, Sri Lanka wants to make the island more attractive to international travelers for a trial period of six months.
Tourism in this country suffered a serious setback in 2019 when nine suicide bombers from a local Islamist extremist group linked to ISIS carried out a series of devastating attacks on three Catholic churches and several luxury hotels, killing more than 270 innocents and wounding more than 500 were affected, including residents and visitors.
Since then, the sector has slowly recovered, generating up to $1.5 billion in the first half of this year.
What does visa-free travel entail?
If you travel to a country with a visa-free travel program, you do not need to apply for a visa before departure or upon arrival. This streamlines travel and saves you some money on visa fees.
Why travel to Sri Lanka in 2024?
Sri Lanka is not like other Asian countries. This small island, located in the south of India, features an exotic combination of sun-drenched beaches, green mountains, lush forests and incredible wildlife including whales, leopards, elephants and monkeys.
But that’s not all. This island also offers a host of adventure sports, delicious healthy food and endless festivities all year round.
Like any tropical destination, the weather in Sri Lanka is unpredictable, but not knowing whether it will be sunny or rainy can add to the adventure.
However, if you like dry days, visit the country between December and mid-April. But remember that airfare and accommodation prices are higher during this period as it is Sri Lanka’s peak season.
