British tourists have been boosted after Sri Lanka revealed plans to waive visa fees for tourists from 33 additional countries, including the UK, bringing the total number of visa-exempt nations to 40. This move means visitors from these countries will no longer have to pay the standard fee for a 30-day tourist visa. Other countries included in the list are Germany, the United States, and Canada.
The announcement was made by Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, last Friday (July 25). While the government expects to forgo around £49 million in visa fee revenue, officials are expecting the increase in tourism arrivals will more than compensate for this loss. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the country welcomed over two million visitors in 2024 and it is aiming to attract three million tourists this year.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister said: “We have stabilised the economy, and through policy changes in tourism, we aim to ensure steady growth in arrivals.”
Currently, British visitors pay about £37 for a 30-day tourist visa to enter Sri Lanka. The exact date for when the visa fee waiver will take effect, however, has not yet been announced.
Last year, Sri Lanka had announced a six-month programme allowing visa-free travel for 30 days to visitors from 38 countries, including UK tourists, but this was then scrapped.
Since 2023, visa fees have already been removed for citizens of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.
In June, the Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK, in partnership with Secrets of Ceylon, hosted a travel and tourism event in which the High Commissioner Senadheera highlighted that the UK ranked as the third-largest source of tourists to Sri Lanka last year, following India and Russia, with 178,339 visitors. This marks a 40% increase compared to 2023.
This year, by mid-June, over 102,000 UK tourists had already travelled to the island, averaging more than 15,000 visitors per month.
Sri Lanka has recently been named the most beautiful island in the world by Big 7 Travel, a global travel platform.
The website wrote: “This teardrop-shaped island off the southern coast of India has it all, from golden beaches to terraced tea plantations.
“Whiling away blissful days beach-hopping along the 833-mile coastline is part of the charm, but Sri Lanka offers much more beyond the shore.”