Business

Sri Lanka Tourism gears up to welcome international visitors

Published

6 years ago

2021/01/19

As Sri Lanka opens its doors to the world once again; Sri Lanka Tourism has pulled out all the stops, ensuring that every precautionary measure has been set in place to make the island getaway as safe, secure and serene as possible for the visitors. In this regard Sri Lanka Tourism has published ‘Safety Protocols’ to be followed by the tourism industry stakeholders and visitors. These protocols were issued by the Ministry of Health and adopted by Sri Lanka Tourism after a thorough analysis of the situation and following multiple consultations with all relevant stakeholders and health professionals to ensure a smooth transition to begin operations in the midst of this new normal.

As per the safety protocols published Sri Lanka does not require a minimum number of days to stay. i.e. visitors to the island can stay even 3 to 4 days. Also offers ‘Quarantine free’ visitor experience where the visitors are allowed to enjoy all facilities in their respective hotels including the swimming pools, spas, gym etc. However the only requirement put in place for the safety of the traveller, tourism stakeholders and Sri Lankan community is the need for the travellers to stay at a ‘Safe and Secure’ certified, Level 1 hotel or hotels in the initial 14 days of their stay. This ensures the creation of a bio-bubble for the international visitors assuring the safety of the local communities, employees of the industry and the visitors to the industry. The respective hotels and accommodation providers along with the travel agents and tour operators will be entrusted to ensure that visitors don’t break the bubble of safety.

‘Safe & Secure’ certified hotel

These are hotels or accommodation providers who comply with the COVID-19 Health Protocols and the Tourism Operational Guidelines (visit srilanka.travel for details of the Tourism Operational Guidelines issued). The hotels have been subjected to an audit by an independent audit firm and will be continually assessed. The ‘Safe & Secure’ certificate is issued with a QR code unique to each certified hotel. By scanning the QR code using a smartphone, visitors can not only check the key information of the certified hotel but also immediately report to Sri Lanka Tourism of any violations related to the guideline procedures with photo evidence. Sri Lanka Tourism believes this certification will serve as a mark of trust, safety and assurance to all international guests. Hotels with the certification are encouraged to display the certificate with the QR code that can be easily accessed by all guests.

‘Safe & Secure’ certified Level 1 hotel

From all the ‘Safe & Secure’ certified hotels, these are the accommodation service providers who will provide accommodation services exclusively for international tourists during the first 14 days of their stay. The level 1 hotels cannot accept bookings from locals and also are not allowed to hold any events or banquet functions for locals. International travellers are allowed to stay in any number of ‘Safe & Secure’ Certified Level 1 hotels during the initial 14 days of their stay. Visit srilanka.travel/helloagain for the complete list of Level 1 hotels.

As Sri Lanka opens its borders for international visitors, it will be mandatory for them to have a pre-booking at a ‘Safe & Secure’ Certified Level 1 hotel.

Process of applying for visa for international travellers

Visitors planning to visit Sri Lanka must apply for their visas online through the Immigration ETA portal (www.eta.gov.lk). Before applying for visa, potential visitors are required to have a confirmed hotel booking, pre-purchased PCR tests and a mandatory COVID-19 insurance cover.

The cost per PCR test will be $ 40 and pre-purchase PCR tests depending on the number of days of stay (eg: pay for 2 PCR tests for 7 days stay and 3 PCR tests if the travel exceeds 7 days). Mandatory COVID-19 insurance cover from People’s Insurance PLC will cost $ 12 for a policy of $ 50,000 for a period of one month. Visitors are advised by Sri Lanka Tourism to contact their ‘Safe and Secure Level 1’ hotel or travel agent when making their booking. Upon the payment of the PCR tests and insurance premium, the hotel will issue a reference number which the visitors need to include in their visa form under the section ‘contact details’. There you will be asked for ‘address in Sri Lanka’ under which you need to indicate your hotel name, address and the reference number issued by the hotel confirming the payment for mandatory PCR and insurance premium.

Sri Lanka Tourism has made it mandatory for the hotels to provide confirmed booking number (reference number) only after collecting funds for necessary PCR tests ($ 40 per PCR test and number of PCR tests depends on the duration of stay) and Insurance premium of $12 for a cover of $50,000 for one month.

Going forward the visa process will be directed through the Sri Lanka Tourism’s mobile app; ‘Visit Sri Lanka’.

PCR testing for International visitors

All visitors, prior to boarding, will have to carry a negative PCR test result from an accredited laboratory 96 hours before their departure. This report will be checked at the respective airport (BIA or Mattala). The first of the prepaid PCR tests would be carried out on-arrival at the guest’s hotel; prior to check-in. The second PCR test would be conducted 5-7 days after, or if any symptoms should develop before. If a test should result as positive, initial isolation would be accommodated at the hotel; and if necessary, transfers to a private hospital or a designated hotel to be quarantined; would be arranged. Costs to be covered via your COVID-19 insurance, already paid for at the time of visa issuance. Currently no exceptions are made for vaccinations taken; all safety protocols should be adhered to regardless.

Visiting sites and attractions

Sri Lanka Tourism with the tourism industry has created a bio-bubble for international visitors to explore multiple sites and attractions in Sri Lanka: This include places such as, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Yala, Udawalawe, Kaudulla and Wilpaththu National Parks, Mirissa Whale Watching, Sigiriya Fortress, Anuradhapura (excluding ‘Sri Maha Bodhiya’) and Polonnaruwa to name a few. (Visit srilanka.travel/helloagain for complete list of approved sites).

Connecting with Sri Lanka Tourism for updates

Sri Lanka Tourism will take every possible step to provide the international visitors to the paradise island an amazing time while ensuring their safety, providing a safe and secure operational environment for the service providers of the tourism industry and ensuring that local communities are protected and secured. All information related to the re-opening for international travel are listed on srilanka.travel/helloagain along with important notices to the industry. Thus Sri Lanka Tourism invites all international travellers, industry stakeholders to connect with its social media and official channels to obtain timely, authentic information.

All News Advertisement

Business

Cost-effective clearance of goods across borders to determine worth of Customs Paperless Declaration

Published

13 hours ago

2026/09/25

Thilina Walpola

Containers held up at the Port of Colombo

By Ifham Nizam

The introduction of the Customs Paperless Declaration from October 1 could mark an important step in Sri Lanka’s efforts to modernise trade, but its real value will depend on whether it reduces the time and cost of moving goods through the country’s borders, Customs House Agents & Traders Association President Mohamed Niyas said.

Niyas warned that digitising Customs declarations alone would not necessarily translate into faster cargo clearance or lower costs for businesses.

‘Expecting a dramatic improvement in clearance speed under the present conditions is like expecting Ferrari performance from a Morris Minor configuration, he said.

For importers and exporters, the issue extends well beyond paperwork. Every additional hour or day that cargo remains in the clearance chain can have wider consequences for businesses, including increased port and storage-related costs, additional working-capital requirements, uncertainty over delivery schedules and disruptions to production and distribution.

Niyas said the competitiveness of Sri Lanka’s trading sector ultimately depended on how efficiently goods could move through the country’s border-clearance system.

‘The real bottleneck is not merely the absence of paper. It is the entire clearance ecosystem—the limitations of the existing ASYCUDA World system, excessive regulatory interventions by Other

Government Agencies, multiple approvals, physical examinations, manual interventions, fragmented processes and institutional constraints, he said.

He cautioned that unless these bottlenecks were addressed, there was a risk that the paperless initiative would merely digitise existing bureaucracy.

‘If these underlying constraints remain unchanged, there is a real risk that the new paperless system could become another “copy-and-paste road show”—where an old, complex clearance process is simply transferred onto a digital screen without fundamentally changing the process itself, Niyas said.

For businesses dependent on imported raw materials, machinery, components and other inputs, clearance efficiency can directly affect the wider supply chain.

Delays at the border can create uncertainty for manufacturers, distributors and retailers, while exporters can face difficulties meeting delivery schedules when imported inputs or export consignments are held up.

Niyas therefore argued that the success of the October 1 initiative should be judged by its impact on trade flows rather than by the number of declarations processed electronically.

‘Paperless does not automatically mean faster, he said. ‘Digitising a slow process does not make the process fast. It only makes the slow process digital.’

He said Sri Lanka needed to move towards what he described as “process-less Customs”—a system in which unnecessary procedures are eliminated rather than simply converted into electronic procedures.

Among the reforms he called for are simplification of Customs declarations and approval workflows, improvements to the functionality of ASYCUDA World, greater use of risk-based inspections and better integration of Other Government Agency approvals.

Niyas also called for the elimination of repetitive document submissions and physical endorsements, greater use of pre-arrival processing, sufficient capacity for digital document uploads and clearly defined service-level timelines for Customs and OGAs.

Business

China backs Sri Lanka’s Non-aligned stance to counter regional pressures

Published

13 hours ago

2026/09/25

Thilina Walpola

Chinese Ambassador Wei Huaxiang delivering the keynote address in Colombo

By Sanath Nanayakkare

As global attention has fixed on the high-level diplomatic choreography at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a subtler, yet profound geopolitical signal was sent from Colombo, yesterday.

In a major address marking the founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, newly appointed Chinese Ambassador Wei Huaxiang chose to anchor bilateral relations not just in modern trade or infrastructure, but in a shared respect for Sri Lanka’s legacy of non-aligned independence.

By explicitly invoking Sri Lanka’s foundational role in the 1976 Non-Aligned Summit, Beijing was doing something unexpected in an era defined by fierce great-power rivalry: it was officially validating a small island nation’s right to maintain an independent foreign policy stance.

The Strategic Value of Independence

For decades, nations caught in the crosshairs of major-power competition have faced intense pressure to pick sides. Yet, Ambassador Wei’s embrace of Colombo’s non-aligned tradition signaled a different diplomatic playbook. Instead of demanding alignment, Beijing was framing its partnership as a reliable counterbalance to regional pressures. By honouring Sri Lanka’s diplomatic autonomy, China was effectively reassuring smaller economies that sovereign independence and robust economic cooperation can coexist.

Beyond Ports and Industrial Zones

This diplomatic framing reframed the narrative surrounding major collaborative ventures like the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port. While foreign analysts often view these projects exclusively through the lens of strategic rivalry, Beijing’s diplomatic messaging tied them back to a historical ethos of solidarity—evoking memories of the 1952 Rubber-Rice Pact.

By marrying economic projects with a stated respect for non-alignment, China is positioning itself as a steadfast stakeholder that respects Sri Lanka’s internal agency during difficult economic and political seasons.

As both nations look toward major milestones in 2027—including the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties—this nuanced diplomatic move revealed how historic traditions are being leveraged to navigate modern multipolar realities.

For global observers, the takeaway was clear: in the shifting architecture of Asian geopolitics, respecting a nation’s historical neutrality may just be the most effective way to secure a lasting partnership, a diplomatic masterclass that Ambassador Wei Huaxiang executed in style.

Business

Sri Lanka Insurance Life appoints Dr. Sameera Dharmasena Chief Executive Officer

Published

13 hours ago

2026/09/25

Thilina Walpola

Dr. Sameera Dharmasena

Sri Lanka Insurance Life (SLIC Life), the nation’s largest and strongest Life Insurer, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sameera Dharmasena as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 22nd September 2026.

Dr. Dharmasena is a distinguished insurance professional with over 21 years of experience in the Sri Lankan insurance industry, having held senior leadership positions across several leading insurance companies affiliated with some of Sri Lanka’s largest business conglomerates. His extensive career spans both local and multinational insurance environments, bringing together broad industry expertise, strategic leadership and a strong commitment to the advancement of the insurance profession.