Starting October 1, 2024, Sri Lanka will offer visa-free entry to citizens from 35 countries, including India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Sri Lankan government has approved this new policy to boost tourism and promote stronger international ties.
Under this new initiative, travellers from countries such as Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, and Japan will be able to visit Sri Lanka without needing a visa. In October 2023, they launched a successful pilot project that granted visa-free access to citizens from seven countries, including India and China. The positive outcome of this pilot has led to broader policy implementation.
For Indian travellers, this new visa-free access is a significant development. India has been Sri Lanka’s largest source of international tourists, with over 246,000 Indian visitors in 2023, or 20% of all international arrivals. We expect the new policy to enhance the ease of visiting Sri Lanka for Indian tourists, potentially leading to a further increase in these numbers.
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has been recovering from setbacks such as the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which had a major impact on tourist numbers. However, with tourism earnings reaching $1.5 billion in the first half of 2024, up from $875 million in the same period the previous year, the sector is on a positive trajectory. The Sri Lankan government anticipates that the introduction of visa-free travel for 35 countries will further support this recovery.
Recent years have seen the Sri Lankan government make several attempts to draw Indian visitors, including reducing visa fees and planning advertising campaigns in India. Building on past programmes, this new visa-free policy provides an even more practical means of exploration for Indian visitors to Sri Lanka.
With an eye towards increasing tourism and enhancing Sri Lanka’s appeal as a top vacation destination, the visa-free entry policy is a hopeful step for the nation’s travel industry overall.
