Sri Lanka may extend visa exemption for Indian travellers after March

Sri Lanka is likely to extend visa exemption status for India after March to keep attracting travellers from the country and encourage repeat visits,

Sri Lanka is likely to extend visa exemption status for India after March to keep attracting travellers from the country and encourage repeat visits, Tourism and Lands, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Harin Fernando said on Thursday.

“India is our number one source market and tourists from India helped our country on its path of recovery from the recent crisis we faced,” Fernando said in a session at OTM 2024.

Sri Lanka facilitated visa-free entry for Indian travellers from December 2023 to March. “We are working on extending it beyond March. We want to make Sri Lanka an easily accessible destination for Indians, who can just walk into our country for a hassle free holiday,” he said.

By offering visa exemption to Indians, Sri Lanka will attract more footfalls, especially those who make last-minute plans and find visa process a hindrance, he said.

“In the time of more options, we have to ease the travel process to encourage more tourists from India and repeat footfalls,” he added.