The Travel Information Centre of SLTPB in Kandy collaborated with Sri Dalada Maligawa in organizing few groups of foreign tourists to take part in the World tourism day celebrations. The tourists were warmly welcomed by its staff offering lotus flowers and took them to the temple of the sacred tooth relic for an organized tour. The foreign tourists also got involved in elephant bathing in the river and feeding them. Finally, they all enjoyed traditional dance performance while enjoying traditional sweet meats. They were thoroughly impressed with the welcome they got on both occasions and also keenly participated in taking photos with the TIC officials of both TIC centers.

Thus, the World Tourism Day on 27^th September 2024, which is of great significance to Sri Lanka Tourism, being the main Tourism stakeholder of the country, and is committed to take Sri Lankas name across the world, was celebrated in a simple yet elegant style with the foreign visitors who contribute a great deal to promote Sri Lanka as one of the best Tourist destinations of the globe.

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An event was organized by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited together with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and Ceylon Tea Board at the airport.

The AASL said in a statement that tourists were welcomed by offering lotus flowers upon their arrival, showcasing the Sri Lankan warmth and hospitality. 

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau offered Sri Lankan traditional sweet packs along with valuable gift packs. 

The Sunshine Holdings, representing the Ceylon Tea Board, made the arrangements to serve refreshed iced tea and Ceylon tea gift packs, promoting Ceylon tea brands among tourists too. 

“It was glad to observe that tourists enthusiastically participated in the celebration, and the event helped to create a positive first impression about Sri Lanka as they stepped into the country,” the AASL said. 

Sri Lanka marked the arrival of its one millionth tourist yesterday (Sep 26), showing a remarkable growth in the Sri Lankan tourism industry compared to last year.

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The Daily FT learns that with the ETA system back in place visa fees will also be reduced. “The 30-day tourist visa fee will come down to $ 35, while national from SAARC countries will also see the current visa fees coming down to $ 20. Visas will be free for children under 12 years, offering further incentives for family travel,” a top official told the Daily FT based on anonymity.

Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath acknowledged the difficulties caused by the visa service provided by VFS Global, particularly for foreigners arriving in Sri Lanka who faced significant challenges in obtaining their on-arrival visas.

“The visa issue has caused great distress but we have now addressed this problem,” he stated, adding that the Ministry intervened following a Court ruling to resume visa issuance under the previous ETA system within 24 hours.

He said under the restored ETA system, foreigners can apply for visas online, which will now be processed within 24 hours, marking a significant improvement in efficiency.

“We have initiated an immediate forensic audit to investigate the irregularities associated with the VFS Global. Any discrepancies found will be subject to legal action in the future,” Minister Herath noted in a communiqué issued by the President’s Media Division.

Separately, the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) on Wednesday officially requested the restoration of the previous Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, in a move aligned with the recent Supreme Court interim order.

DIE Additional Controller General Imal Gunawardena sent a formal letter to Informatics Ltd., CEO and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Mobitel Ltd., Chief Operating Officer and Managers of Sampath Bank PLC and Nations Trust Bank PLC, urging them to reinstate the visa processing system which existed as of 16 April 2024.

In his communication, Gunawardena directed Mobitel Ltd., to re-enable the same ETA front-end system and resume the ETA contact centre service, as it existed prior to the changes made in April 2024.

Similarly, Informatics Ltd., was asked to restore the backend services that had been previously provided, while Sampath Bank and Nations Trust Bank were requested to re-establish the Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) services.

The directive also includes, ICTA to revert the official ETA website to its original domain, https://eta.gov.lk ensuring that the system mirrors its configuration which existed as of 16 April 2024.

Gunawardena has emphasised the need for immediate action, requesting all relevant parties to collaborate and appoint a point of contact to ensure the smooth reinstatement of the system.

The latest move from the DIE comes much later than expected, as SLT-Mobitel had been awaiting swift action from several stakeholders to get the ETA system online, two weeks after the Supreme Court ordered authorities to abandon the outsourced arrangement and revert to the previous status quo.

On 13 August SLT-Mobitel Chairman A.K.D.D.D. Arandara wrote to the DIE Controller General HarshaIlukpitiya notifying the urgency in support as a follow up to the first letter sent on 7 August, post Supreme Court’s interim order issued on 2 August to reinstate the ETA system. (https://www.ft.lk/top-story/slt-mobitel-still-awaiting-action-from-other-stakeholders-to-get-visa-system-online/26-765568)

The latest directive by the Additional Controller comes as part of a wider response to a Supreme Court order suspending a controversial e-visa outsourcing arrangement. It aims to address the concerns raised by tourism industry stakeholders and other petitioners regarding transparency, excessive fees and confusion created by the new e-visa system introduced from 17 April 2024.

The restoration of the ETA system is intended to restore order and efficiency in the visa application process, which was widely regarded as one of the best in the region before the outsourcing arrangement.

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The move for six months was approved at the Cabinet of Ministers meeting yesterday based on a proposal by the President who also holds the tourism portfolio, following recommendations from an Expert Committee tasked with evaluating the issuance of free tourist visas.

The 35 countries included in the new free visa initiative are; India, China, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, France, the US, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and New Zealand.

The original proposal was submitted as a joint Cabinet paper by Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry PC and former Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, proposing free visa entry for citizens of 67 countries.

The Expert Committee composed of Government institutions, private sector tourism champions and independent analysts provided a detailed overview suggesting that offering free visas would lead to a surge in tourist arrivals.

“Sri Lanka would break-even financially if there is a 3.74% increase in tourist arrivals for the remainder of 2024 due to the visa waiver. A more substantial increase of 10% could generate an overall financial surplus of $ 94.27 million for the country,” a top official told the Daily FT.

During the first seven months of 2024, Sri Lanka earned over $ 1.88 billion, marking a remarkable 72% increase from the same period last year.

The latest strategic move aims to woo more visitors, stimulate the economy and enhance Sri Lanka’s position as a top travel destination, aligning with the country’s goal of achieving 5 million tourist arrivals by 2030.

This week Sri Lanka crossed the 1.3 million tourist arrivals mark for the year, with 117,825 visitors registered in the first 19 days of August. Tourism officials expressed confidence of reaching the year-end target of 2.3 million arrivals from September onwards.

The Committee has also recommended measures to enhance security screening and improve information communication access for visitors to ensure that the implementation of the free visa initiative is both secure and efficient.

Separately, the tourism industry welcomed the Government’s decision ahead of the crucial winter booking season. “We are grateful for the lifeline extended to the industry,” they said.

The industry stakeholders believe that the free visa entry for these 35 countries will significantly boost Sri Lanka’s appeal as a holiday destination.

“The current average lead time for a trip to Sri Lanka is three months and by making travel free visas could further facilitate arrivals,” they added.

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Although authorities assured that transitioning back to the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system would alleviate visa-related issues, the proposed solutions have not been effective. This setback poses a substantial challenge to an industry that was gradually recovering from previous disruptions. Industry stakeholders have described the impact of the visa issue as “massive,” with potential tourists discouraged by the lack of an online visa application option.

According to the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), “Our members are seeing a severe drop in arrivals and a rise in cancellations. The only current option is to obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport.” Efforts to issue visas through foreign missions were halted on August 6 due to technical problems, rendering the system, which had been operational since early August, unavailable.

Stakeholders have warned that unless the online system, as mandated by the Supreme Court, is restored promptly, Sri Lanka risks losing the winter tourism season to regional competitors. Many neighboring countries have either eliminated visa requirements or offered them for free to attract tourists.

SLAITO President Nishard Wijetunga has expressed concern, stating, “All targets for arrival numbers and tourism revenue set for the rest of the year will be unattainable. With the booking season for winter 2024/25 beginning in September, unresolved issues may lead to lost winter bookings.”

Tourism associations have urged authorities to address the issue urgently and reinstate the Mobitel-supported online visa platform as directed. However, the Ministry of Public Security has indicated that restoring the previous system is unlikely in the near term. Public Security Minister Tiran Alles explained that reverting to the old system is not feasible due to an ongoing overhaul of the entire immigration system. This transition, driven by new regulations and protocols introduced to support the VFS Global-led portal, will take several months.

Compounding the industry’s difficulties is the recent resignation of Harin Fernando as Minister of Tourism, Lands, Sports, and Youth Affairs. The resignation follows a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the suspension of his party membership, along with that of Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara, lawful. The lack of a Tourism Minister further complicates efforts to address these urgent issues.

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The annual Kataragama Esala festival in 2024 July is another spectacle of devoutness. The Hindu devotees from the North and the East make their annual foot pilgrimage, Pada Yatra, to the holy city of Kataragama to take part in the 15 day-annual festival.

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Check time table

The post Kandy Esala Perahera 2024: A Dazzling Display of Culture and Tradition first appeared on Sri Lanka tour operators | Show Lanka tours.

As per the cabinet decision taken in January 2024, the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited invited limited competitive bidding to operate currency exchange counters at the arrival lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport.

According to the government, 05 bids had been forwarded for this purpose.

The Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation to award the contracts to the selected institutions for 3 years on the recommendation of the Technical Evaluation Committee and Standing Procurement Committee appointed by the Cabinet after evaluation of the said bids.

The contracts are to be awarded to the following institutions:

• Counter No 1 Sampath Bank PLC
• Counter No 2 People’s Bank
• Counter No 3 Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC
• Counter No 4 Thomas Cook Lanka (Pvt) LTD
• Counter No 5 Bank of Ceylon

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Provisional data from Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority shows that the island nation lured a total of 43,083 tourists, bringing year-to-date arrivals to 1,053,332.

In comparison to the first week of June this year, the first week of July witnessed an 89 percent increase in tourist arrivals.

The month of July kicked off with Sri Lanka hosting the Dawoodi Bohra International Convention, which commenced on July 7 and will go on for 12 days.

The Dawoodi Bohra International Convention is a major boost for Sri Lanka tourism, as it brings to the island nation over 30,000 religious visitors from over 40 countries.

Sri Lanka hosted the Dawoodi Bohra International Convention in 2019, with the aim of showcasing the island nation as a safe destination, following the Easter Sunday deadly attack.

According to industry stakeholders, this is the first major international convention the country is hosting for 2024. The event was initiated by the Tourism Ministry and local Bohra community.

The post Tourist arrivals to country pick up pace in July first appeared on Sri Lanka tour operators | Show Lanka tours.

Speaking to CNBC, he said that the technical issue happened in connection with the country moving away from Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to requiring travelers to have an e-visa which was processed by VFS Global.

He said that when the program launched, the very popular 30-day visa was missed out by the processing company which led to a drop in arrivals in April.

Accordingly, the cost to obtain a short-term visa to visit Sri Lanka rose from $ 50 to $ 100 in April.

Minister Fernando said that the 30-day visa is back with a $ 50 price tag but travelers coming from 67 countries may not even need to pay this if the free visa policies the country is currently looking into are enacted within this month.

Both parties agreed that 30-day travel visas priced at $ 50 had been reinstated as of 7 May. VFS Global, in an email sent to CNBC on Monday (13), said that on this date, “Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration re-introduced the 30-day visa category for all nationalities.”

In a response, VFS Global which processes visas in more than 150 countries around the world, said that visa categories were introduced as per the directives of (Sri Lanka’s) Department of Immigration and Emigration.

The statement also said that VFS Global manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to the application process only and the decision to grant or reject the visa is at the sole discretion of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

As part of the digital transformation and modernization of the visa system, the Government of Sri Lanka decided to adopt VFS Global’s digital platform for its e-visa and visa-on-arrival process which was launched in April. The objective is to make the process seamless to aid increased tourism and investment opportunities.

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