The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has proposed to extend the validity period of Sri Lanka tourist visas to 06- months from the existing one- month period.
According to the Sunday Morning, Chairperson of the SLTDA Kimarli Fernando said the proposal has been submitted to the cabinet of Ministers and is slated to be taken up for discussion this week.
The SLTDA believes that a one- month visa period is insufficient for tourists as they are required to undergo a total of 28-days in quarantine upon their arrival.
Fernando pointed out that the extension has been proposed due to the 28 –day quarantine period, which includes the 14-day mandatory quarantine and 14 –day self-isolation period, is required to be adhered to by all tourists visiting the country.
In order to facilitate the mandatory quarantine procedure and to encourage tourists to stay for a longer period in Sri Lanka it has been proposed to extend the visa to a period of 06- months, she explained.
As per the proposal, the SLTDA also plans to move tourists to another set of Health Ministry designated hotels to undergo their self-isolation after the completion of the initial mandatory 14-day quarantine. During their self-isolation, the tourists will be allowed to visit designated tourist hotspots during specific hours.
Kimarli Fernando further said that the SLTDA intends to grant the 06- month visa for US$35 which is the same price currently offered for a one-month tourists visa.
The SLTDA hopes this will prompt tourists to spend more time in Sri Lanka and will also result in increasing the tourism revenue of the country.
Sri Lanka is currently combatting the “second wave” of the coronavirus, and is yet to reopen the country for tourism after it first shut down international airports following the initial COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. (NewsWire)
