The Sri Lankan government approved visa-free entry for seven countries, including India, Russia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia, for five months, Sri Lanka's foreign minister Ali Sabry announced on Tuesday.
According to the foreign minister, the visa-free travel starts on an immediate basis and will continue till March 31, 2024.
European countries and the US are not provided visa-free entry.
The ministry stated that the Cabinet has also suggested implementing an e-ticketing system at numerous tourist sites across the country in the coming times, according to local media reports,
The island nation recognizes the immense significance of tourism and is actively working to bolster its thriving tourism industry.
As per the local media report, the tourism ministry, in a note, said: "We are expecting to increase tourist arrivals to five million over the coming years."
Meanwhile, during the first seven months of 2023, Sri Lanka witnessed a 205% increase in its tourism sector compared with 2022. The island country welcomed 763,000 tourists and generated an income of approximately $800 million till July 2023, and most of the tourists were from Russia, England, France and other distant countries.