Free ride to Sri Lanka

Travel to Sri Lanka, a very popular destination for the Swiss, has faced a number of obstacles in recent years. Hit by the pandemic, Sri Lanka is in the midst of an economic and debt crisis. At times, the population faced gasoline shortages. Although tourist tours, which had special permits for fuel, continued as planned, they were met with criticism from the local population.

In the meantime, the round trips through Sri Lanka with their numerous highlights are once again possible without any problems. However, obtaining a visa has been a cumbersome and sometimes frustrating process. A 30-day e-visa, costing $35 when ordered online, was often issued promptly, but at other times experienced delays, as a frequent Sri Lanka traveler shared with Travelnews. The alternative of obtaining a visa on arrival often resulted in long wait times, especially when multiple flights arrived simultaneously in Colombo.

Now this hurdle has been removed. On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Tourism announced that visa-free entry is now possible for travelers from a total of 35 countries. The cabinet made the decision, which will come into force on October 1, 2024, reports the newspaper «Daily Mirror».

Stephan Roemer expects boost

The Swiss Asia specialists are pleased that the entry procedure to Sri Lanka is being simplified. Travelnews reached Tourasia boss Stephan Roemer on a German highway: «Yes, we have also received the information, although the introduction date has not yet been confirmed according to our people.»

«That is extremely pleasing», says Stephan Reomer about the abolition of the visa. «Obtaining the e-visa was not always easy. There were occasional IT failures and delays, which made processing difficult for us.»

Recently, there has been strong demand for trips to Sri Lanka. Tourasia, which operates its own local vehicles, was unaffected by the fuel shortage. "The removal of the entry hurdle should now provide Sri Lanka with a significant boost," says Roemer, who is confident that the country truly deserves this positive change.