Sri Lanka reopens on-arrival ETA counters at Katunayake, Mattala Airports
The government of Sri Lanka has reopened the on-arrival Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service to fully vaccinated international travellers in a bid to attract more tourists to the country.
Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Department Controller General Sarath Rupasiri has reportedly stated that the issuance of on-arrival ETA would facilitate bona-fide tourists who were unable to obtain online ETA due to time constraints in arranging their journey to Sri Lanka.
The facility is available at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MIRA) in Hambantota.
The on-arrival ETA will be issued as per the provisions of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act and on par with all the Health Ministry COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
However, the Controller General has advised the travel trade to encourage incoming tourists to obtain the online ETA prior to their arrival to avoid unnecessary delays at the airport.
OSL take:
The government of Sri Lanka has taken many steps to woo foreign travellers to visit the country. Apart from offering attractive travel deals, Sri Lankan authorities have also taken steps to ease travel restrictions for foreign travellers. Sri Lanka has also been listed as a must visit destination by several leading global travel publications and is also listed among the top 10 island destinations. Also, the internationally recognised safety and hygiene certifications received by Sri Lanka’s airports have added to the attraction of Sri Lanka as a post Covid travel destination. Sri Lanka’s tourism statistics also indicate a steady growth thereby increasing the business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Even international hospitality brands have expressed interest in entering the country. With Sri Lanka’s tourism industry engaged in a global promotional campaign to boost the tourism industry along with the expansion in the industry, foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the growing opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20211021/Z_3 |