Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said that tourists from the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, among other countries, will soon be able to enter the island without visa fees. He said the move is aimed at attracting more tourists, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and sending a message that Sri Lanka is open to tourism.

Herath said that eliminating visa fees could cost the government about $66 million, but the economic benefits from the increased number of tourists would offset the loss.

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The visa fee waiver is an extension of a smaller program launched in March 2023 that previously granted free 30-day visas through electronic travel authorization to tourists from seven countries, including India, China, and Russia. Until now, most tourists from outside South Asia had to pay $50 to $60 for a short-stay visa.

Sri Lanka has set a lofty goal of attracting 3 million tourists and generating $5 billion in tourism revenue by 2025. This is a big increase from 2.05 million tourists and revenue of about $3 billion in 2024.

Amrit Rajaratnam, Managing Director of hospitality company Island Life, Sri Lanka, said, “This initiative is a strong step towards making Sri Lanka a more accessible and competitive destination.

Although it may not fully meet the 2025 target of 3 million tourists, it is expected to significantly increase tourist arrivals. The current trend among tourism-oriented countries globally is to adopt a visa-free format.