Sri Lanka has sought the lifting of travel bans imposed by 21 countries, the Tourism Ministry said today.
The Tourism Ministry said that the request has been put forward with the assistance of the Foreign Ministry.
Accordingly, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that the 21 countries have been requested to lift the ban on travelling to Sri Lanka imposed as a result of the coronavirus.
The countries include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, the Philippines, Germany, Norway, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Tourism Ministry said that a joint programme has been launched together with airlines and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority to attract more tourists to Sri Lanka.
Ranatunga said that the Government hopes to vaccinate 60 percent of the population by September.
He said that the Government will then look to rebuild the economy which took a hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. (Colombo Gazette)