Sri Lanka has launched a pilot project allowing visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries, including India, China, Russia and more. This decision, announced by the country’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabri, got approval from the Sri Lankan Cabinet.
This pilot project, which will start immediately, will continue till 31 March 2024. Sharing this update, Minister Sabri said, “The Cabinet has approved the issuance of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, India.”
The visa-free entry initiative is being seen as a boost to Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, which has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country is expect to attract more tourists from these seven countries, all of which are major tourism markets.
Benefits of Visa-Free Entry Initiative
This pilot project can help the country to boost revenue and open number of job opportunity in the country. This can increase cooperation in other areas like trade and investment.
- Increase in tourism: The visa-free entry initiative is expected to increase the number of tourists visiting Sri Lanka from the seven target countries. This will boost the country’s tourism sector, which is a major source of revenue and employment.
- Ease of Travel: The visa-free entry will make easier to travel Sri Lanka and more convenient for visitors from the seven target countries. This will encourage more people to visit the country for both leisure and business.
- Improved relations with target countries: The visa-free entry is also a way to improve Sri Lanka’s relations with the seven target countries.
Challenges
However, there are many challenges associated with the visa-free entry initiative which are mentioned below:
- Security Concerns: Some security experts have raised concerns about the potential for criminals and terrorists to take advantage of the visa-free entry initiative.
- Immigration concerns: Immigration experts have also raised concerns about increase in illegal immigration from the visa-free entry initiative.
What does the Sri Lankan government say?
The Government of Sri Lanka has assured security measures to reduce these risks and stated that it will monitor the situation closely and take steps to address any immigration concerns.
What will be the benefit to Sri Lanka?
The visa-free entry will be a positive impact for Sri Lanka and its visitors. It is expected to boost the country’s tourism sector, improve relations with the seven target countries and make it easier and more convenient for people to travel to Sri Lanka.
However, the Sri Lankan government will need to manage this carefully and to minimize the security and immigration risks.
Impact on tourism sector:
The visa-free entry initiative is expected to have a positive impact on Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. The country has a variety of tourist attractions, such as beautiful beaches, ancient temples, lush rainforests and wildlife safaris.
All these countries are major tourism markets and have a large number of people who are interested in traveling to Sri Lanka. This will encourage more people to visit the country for both leisure and business. This is expected to boost the sector, create jobs and generate revenue.
Conclusion
Visa-free entry into Sri Lanka is a bold step and will have a positive impact on the country’s tourism sector. This is expected to attract more visitors from the seven target countries and create employment opportunities. However, the Sri Lankan government will need to manage this carefully to minimize any potential security and immigration risks.
