- Sri Lanka Forms Committee to Explore Free Tourist Visas
Sri Lanka’s Government has formed an Expert Committee to study the potential of issuing free tourist visas.
The committee will be tasked with examining how other countries have implemented similar programs and analyzing their impact on tourism and related sectors.
The committee comprises a range of experts, including:
Ms. Chandima Wickramasinghe, Chairperson (Additional Secretary to the President)
Mr. S I. Nazeer (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Lands)
Ms. M S P Suriyapperuma (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Public Security)
Mr. Ilukpitiya (Controller General of Immigration and Emigration)
Mr. Priantha Fernando (Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)
Ms. Shiromal Cooray (Vice Chairperson, Tourism Committee Appointed by the President)
Mr. Nishad Wijethunga (President, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators)
Mr. Sabry Bahudeen (President, IATA Agents Association of Sri Lanka)
Mr. M Shanthikumar (President, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka)
Mr. Eshan Perera (Financial Consultant)
The committee’s aim is to provide recommendations on the feasibility and potential benefits of offering free tourist visas for Sri Lanka.
By studying successful models from other nations, the committee can weigh the program’s potential to attract more visitors while considering security and financial implications.
The committee has been given 1 month to submit the report to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. (NewsWire)
