Sri Lankan tourism leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s decision to increase visa fees, saying the country’s visa costs are the highest on the Asian continent.
VisaGuide.World reports that tourism leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the hike in visa fees, which will drive international travelers away from Thailand and instead choose other destinations that offer visas at lower fees. He emphasized that it would be.
As the Daily Mirror explains, tourism industry leaders have already called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to continue lowering visa costs through an official letter.
Tourism industry leaders say it is important that the country reverses its decision and takes steps as soon as possible to continue providing services without hurting travelers’ pockets.
The official said Sri Lanka aims to achieve the target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals by the end of this year. However, they are skeptical that this will happen, as the new changes will encourage travelers to choose countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, which have lower visa fees.
A recent study found that Sri Lanka’s visa costs are currently the highest in Asia, making it a major barrier for tourists compared to Thailand, Vietnam and other competing destinations that offer visas for free or at much cheaper rates. It has become.
Sri Lanka tourism leader
Sri Lanka raises visa fees, launches new e-visa system last month
Last month, Sri Lanka increased visa fees and also launched a new electronic visa system.
Sri Lankan authorities said the electronic visa system replaces the electronic travel authorization that was previously in place. He explained that the main reason for this change is to ensure efficiency and convenience for travelers arriving in the country.
Regarding visa fees, Sri Lanka now requires nationals of countries that are not members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to pay a standard tourist visa fee of $75, which is 50% more than the previous fee. expensive.
Meanwhile, Nationals of SAARC countries now have to pay $35 to get a standard tourist visa, according to Travel Trade Journal.
Additionally, certain groups of travelers are exempt from visa fees. As indicated in the document provided by the official Sri Lanka e-Visa website, certain nationalities do not have to pay any fees. Diplomats are also exempt from visa fees.
