48 countries tourists are exempted from visa fees by Sri Lankan govt including India and China from August 1 as part of efforts to attract more tourists to the country.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2019
In a media briefing here, Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that Cabinet approval has been obtained to waive off the existing $25 visa fees for travellers arriving from India, China, the US, Germany, Canada, Malaysia and Indonesia, among other countries.
Amaratunga said the policy would remain in place for six months, Xinhua news agency reported.
Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Pasan Ratnayake said that travellers wanting to visit Sri Lanka could obtain the visa approval by submitting all the required information electronically by accessing the Sri Lankan embassy websites in their respective countries or by visiting the Immigration website.
For travellers who have not obtained visa approval before arriving in the country, they can do so by submitting the necessary documents at the existing visa counter set up at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
Ratnayake said travellers from the listed countries will be issued a free 30-day visa and if any travellers needed an extension, they will be required to make a payment.
Despite suffering a set back due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks on April 21 which killed over 250 people and injured hundreds, Sri Lanka is aiming to attract at least 1.9 million to 2 million tourists by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking at the media briefing, assured that Sri Lanka was now safe for travel as all the suspects linked directly and indirectly to the suicide explosions had been arrested or had died.
Relationship between India and srilanka
The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is more than 2,500 years old.
Both countries have a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction.
In recent years, the relationship has been marked by close contacts at all levels. Trade and investment have grown and there is cooperation in the fields of infrastructure development, education, culture and defence.
In recent years, significant progress in implementation of developmental assistance projects has further cemented the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
The nearly three-decade long armed conflict between the Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE came to an end in May 2009. During the course of the conflict, India supported the right of the Sri Lankan Government to act against terrorist forces.
India’s consistent position has been in favour of a negotiated political settlement, which is acceptable to all communities within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and is consistent with democracy, pluralism and respect for human rights.
