Sri Lanka has extended the free visa regime with Russia until April 30 – Kommersant

The Sri Lankan government has decided to extend a pilot project to provide free visas to tourists from seven countries, including Russia. The project has been extended until April 30, 2024. This was announced by the Minister of Tourism of the Republic, Harin Fernando.

“The free visa pilot for seven countries will be extended until April 30, 2024,” he wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter). Mr. Fernando added that the Sri Lankan government will make a final decision on the pilot project within the next few weeks.

A free visa regime for tourists from Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan will operate in pilot mode to restore the tourism industry from November 2023. Under the program, tourists from these countries can enjoy a 30-day free visa in Sri Lanka. The project was supposed to end on March 31st.

In early March, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Public Security, Theran Alles statedthat the government of the republic does not intend to extend the free visa regime for Russians. Then Mr. Alles announced the impossibility of extending the project.

Despite the reduction in tourist trips by Russians to the traditionally popular Turkey, the volume of bookings for holidays abroad in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 10–20%. Russians began to often go on vacation to exotic countries, including Sri Lanka.

Read more about this in the Kommersant article. “Turkish recaptured”.

Evgeny Belousov