Sri Lanka has announced visa-free entry for citizens from seven countries, including India. The other countries that are eligible for visa-free travel to Sri Lanka are China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. The initiative came into effect immediately and will be available until March 31, 2024, according to Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Harin Fernando.

The move is believed to be a boost for the Sri Lankan tourism industry, which is the main source of income for the cash-strapped country. The Sri Lankan Tourism Ministry has announced that tourists from many countries will be exempted from visas to attract more visitors to the country. The ministry expects that this move will increase tourist arrivals to five million over the coming years.

China has recently announced that Chinese tourists can travel to Sri Lanka, which is one of the 20 countries on the list. This program is expected to save money and time spent on obtaining visas, and it is anticipated that the tendency of foreign tourists to visit Sri Lanka will increase. Additionally, the ministry has proposed introducing an e-ticketing system for most of the tourist sites in the country in the near future.

In 2022, the tourism industry contributed 12% to the country”s GDP and was the third-largest source of foreign exchange reserves. In 2022, the country welcomed 600,000 tourists, which generated an income of over $1 billion.

The Sri Lankan economy is currently facing the worst economic crisis in its history since its independence in 1948. The crisis is caused by a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising global commodity prices, macroeconomic headwinds, and regulatory issues.