The revival of the tourism industry, hit by the double whammy of the Easter Sunday attacks and the Covid-19 pandemic, was one of the key factors that helped Sri Lanka to emerge from bankruptcy in a short period. Some intrepid travellers did indeed arrive in the island even during the dark days of 2022, but tourism truly bounced back only after economic and political stability was achieved by around 2023.
One million tourists have arrived in the country in 2024 so far, although a slowdown is being experienced due to two factors. One is that this is generally the off-season for tourism in this part of the world and the other is the confusion surrounding Sri Lanka’s visa policy after VFS was brought in as a technology services provider and facilitator. At one point, all visitors had to pay US$ 101 to enter Sri Lanka. After the uproar this created, the rate was revised to US$ 50 (with VFS fees included) for all visitors, except those from SAARC countries, who paid considerably less.
Before the VFS saga erupted, Sri Lanka was set to introduce free Visas on Arrival (VOA) for around 67 countries, a considerable expansion from the seven countries that enjoyed that facility (India, Thailand, Russia, China, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia) apart from Singapore, the Maldives and Seychelles that anyway had visa-free status as a result of visa reciprocity agreements. The controversy surrounding the VFS entry derailed this program, much to the detriment of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
Now that this proposal is to be presented to the Cabinet again, no time should be lost. The visa-free regime for 67 countries (nearly 75 with unilateral and bilateral exceptions) should be implemented as soon as possible. Tourists might still have to pay around US$ 10 to the visa system facilitator, but that is much more reasonable than US$ 50 upfront.
It has been proven time and again that visa-free arrangements encourage tourists to travel to such countries. A Sri Lankan, if given a choice between Singapore and the Philippines, would naturally opt for the former because it does not require a visa. The bottom line is, no one likes filling visa forms and red tape. Countries should open their borders to everyone, not closing them like fortresses.
In fact, while Sri Lanka was debating the VFS issue, several countries in Asia and Africa – which are all competitors for tourist dollars – threw their doors wide open, to Sri Lankans as well. Thailand recently expanded its visa-free entry facility to 93 nations including Sri Lanka. While Sri Lanka is faltering in its efforts to attract 2.3 million tourists this year, Thailand through this measure aims to attract a staggering 40 million tourists. Malaysia, Vietnam, Kenya, Rwanda and Cambodia too have introduced e-visas for all nationalities. Burundi, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Maldives, Micronesia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu offer visa-free access to all 198 passports of the world.
Sri Lanka must also look for reciprocity when deciding on the 67 nations (and more) for visa-free access. It is too much to expect a country such as Germany to grant visa-free access to developing countries due to justified fears of stayovers, but there are some developing countries that still need paper visas from Sri Lankans. For example, rather surprisingly, citizens of Eritrea and Niger (and 155 other countries) can visit the Philippines visa free, but Sri Lankans have to fill complicated forms and show finances and get a paper visa to visit it. Similarly, visa-free access for Sri Lankans to Thailand, a Buddhist-majority country with links running into centuries, was not available until recently.
It is, therefore, appropriate that Foreign Ministry officials are also involved to negotiate visa reciprocity where possible. Sri Lankans still need advance paper visas for around 145 countries and the Foreign Ministry should begin negotiations to gain visa-free or e-visa access to at least 25 of these countries within the next decade. They have got visa-free access for diplomatic and official passports for many more countries, but real people-to-people contact happens when the ordinary people are free to travel and explore other countries and cultures. Ordinary passport holders should not be forgotten in visa negotiations.
If the present rates of tourist arrivals continue, Sri Lanka will need more inbound airline seats. There are several positive developments in this regard. SriLankan Airlines plans to induct or lease at least three more aircraft to meet the present demand and expand into new routes in South Asia and the Middle East.
Some airlines, such as Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways, which halted operations at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, have returned to Colombo. Chongqing Airlines, an airline based in Chongqing, China, resumed direct nonstop flights from Chongqing to Colombo last week. Sri Lanka’s aviation and tourism officials should encourage all operators to increase the number of flights and airlines such as Air France, Qantas, JAL, ANA, Virgin Atlantic, BA, Korean, Biman and Akasa to launch direct flights to Colombo. They should attend global “route shops” where airline representatives look for lucrative new routes.
Sri Lanka is not the only grain of sand on the tourist beach. If our visa becomes too expensive or too time-consuming, tourists will head elsewhere. On the other hand, if it is streamlined and affordable, more tourists will click their mouse and choose Sri Lanka as the next holiday destination. Once they experience Sri Lanka, they will surely come back for more.
