The start of free visa issuance to citizens of Russia, India, China, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand has been announced by the Sri Lankan Cabinet, effective immediately as a pilot project until March 31 of the next year, as reported by the press service of the Russian Union of Tour Industry. Following this announcement, a surge in interest by Russian tourists to visit Sri Lanka has been observed. Tour operators have noted that the report on the cancellation of the visa fee immediately led to increased tourist activity. Prior to this, the issue of paying for electronic visas posed a challenge for tourists who did not possess cards of foreign banks. Sri Lanka, a top-five destination for Russians seeking winter vacations, successfully competes with Thailand, according to Darya Domostroeva from the Intourist company.
INTEREST IN TOURS TO SRI LANKA AMONG RUSSIANS HAS SURGED FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FREE VISA POLICY
