Courtesy The Telegraph  online Aimed at boosting the tourism sector, Indian tourists – the largest inbound group – to Sri Lanka, would receive free tourist visas with immediate effect, the Department of Immigration and Emigration has announced here. The facility follows a Cabinet decision from October to issue free tourist visas to travellers from India, […]

Courtesy Adaderana During the key note address at the ‘YPO Colombo Experience: Rediscover the Pearl’ conference held today (18) at the Shangri La hotel Colombo, President Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed his vision for transforming the economic landscape of the region. The President, who held discussions with the new Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, yesterday (17), expressed […]

Courtesy Adaderana Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries including India, China and Russia as a pilot project until 31 March 2024, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. In a tweet, he said the Cabinet has approved visa-free entry to visitors from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand with […]

Written by Arun Janardhanan  Courtesy The Indian Express The ferry will operate between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The transit time is expected to be three hours. The vessel to be used as the ferry is called Cheriyapani and it can accommodate 150 passengers. (Twitter/@KRD_forum) The much-awaited passenger ferry service between […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia Sept 21 (NewsWire – Minimum prices for meals offered for residential guests at tourist hotels in the Colombo Municipal Council limits will be implemented from October, as per a Gazette notification issued by the government.  The Gazette, dated September 11, 2023, has been authorised by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia Sept 18 (NewsWire) – The Gazette notification on the introduction of Minimum Room Rates (MRR) for Colombo City Hotels will come into effect from October 01, 2023. According to the Daily FT, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando has formally notified the General Managers of the hotels in this regard. The […]

By Antony Fernando Express News Service Courtesy The Indian Express The service covering around 60 nautical miles will start from Nagapattinam Mini Port, sources said. Each ferry will carry around 150 passengers. Published: 21st September 2023 08:45 AM  |   Last Updated: 21st September 2023 08:45 AM  |  A+A A- NAGAPATTINAM: Efforts are on by the Union government’s Shipping Corporation of India to […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror Sri Lanka has been listed as one of the 50 best islands in the world for travel for 2023 by Big 7 Travel. The island nation was ranked 13 in the annual round up of the world’s best islands. Sri Lanka has been off the tourism radar for a few years […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror While Sri Lanka has secured the bid to host a prestigious travel awards show in Colombo, the officials visiting Sri Lanka to discuss the event had been greeted by unmanned service counters at the Bandaranaike International Airport. This was revealed by State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage who welcomed the officials representing […]

Courtesy Adaderana The Civil Aviation Authority of Israel has confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed by the relevant authorities of Israel and Sri Lanka in order to commence the air service of providing direct passenger flights from Tel Aviv in Israel to Katunayake. During a discussion held in this regard, Minister […]

By Feizal Samath Courtesy TTG Asia Sri Lanka’s decision to enact a compulsory minimum rate policy for Colombo hotels has led to a row between hoteliers and travel agents in the country. Set for implementation from August 1 this year, the policy requires five-star hotels to charge at least US$130 per room, excluding taxes; four-star at […]

By P.K.Balahandran/Sunday Observer Colombo, June 25: When Cordelia Cruise’s luxury vessel MV Empress sailed into the Kankesanthurai (KKS) Port on June 19, it marked two milestones: First, it opened Jaffna and the Northern Province to an elite class of overseas travellers from India for the first time. Second, it gave lustre to the re-opening of […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror Union minister for ports, shipping, and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off India’s first international cruise headed for Sri Lanka from the Chennai Port on Monday as part of a series of initiatives set off by the Centre to jump-start cruise tourism across the country. The luxury ship, MV Empress, will reach […]

Courtesy Adaderana Sri Lanka is mulling measures to lure back Chinese tourists in a bid to alleviate an unprecedented debt crisis, its tourism minister said, as the South Asian nation tries to stabilize the economy. The country is targeting half a million Chinese tourists in 2024, nearly double its pre-Covid visitor levels, Tourism Minister Harin […]

By: Nadeem Badshah Courtesy Eastern Eye New holiday trend has been backed by doctors who have warned that excessive screen time can hamper sleep. India and Sri Lanka are popular destinations due to their religious and spiritual significance Thousands of Britons are travelling to remote locations in India and Sri Lanka for a digital detox”, […]

Courtesy Adaderana The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has stated that Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka can now use the Indian Rupee (INR) for local transactions.  Delivering the keynote address at the webinar organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Dr. Weerasinghe reiterated […]

Courtesy Adaderana The High Commission of India in Colombo has issued an advisory for travellers to Sri Lanka on fraudulent visa websites. The Controller General of Immigration & Emigration of Sri Lanka has warned travellers to Sri Lanka about misleading websites that charge exorbitant fees for Sri Lanka ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) visas. The high […]

Courtesy Adaderana Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry convened a briefing on current developments in Sri Lanka for the Colombo-based diplomatic corps on Monday (10 April).  Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya, Chief of Staff to the President Sagala Ratnayaka and Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane were associated with the briefing, the Ministry of […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia India – Sri Lanka March 27 (NewsWire) – The governments of Sri Lanka and India have decided to launch a passenger ferry service between Kankesanthurai in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to Karaikal in India from 29th April 2023, it has been reported.  According to reports, discussions in this regard have been held between the […]

Courtesy The Morning First ferry from Pondicherry due end of April $ 50 one way ticket, 100 Kg luggage allowance A new passenger terminal at Kankesanturai (KKS) port, built at a cost of Rs 144 million is to be completed by the second week of April, with the first ferry from the Indian port of […]

Courtesy The Daily Mirror The  Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has organised a Buddhist tourist train covering 9 places across India and Nepal that impacted Buddha, helping tourists experience his self-disciplined and legendary life, Indian media reported. https://www.irctcbuddhisttrain.com/index To facilitate people to embark on the path of enlightenment, the Indian Railway Catering and […]

Courtesy Adaderana Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) has facilitated 11,926 international tourists in February 2023, says the Airport and Aviation Services Pvt. Ltd. of Sri Lanka (AASL). While Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has recorded 107,639 international tourist arrivals in the month of February 2023 with a growth of 11.5% compared to the month of February […]

Courtesy mint IRCTC will start the ‘Shri Ramayana Yatra’ through a special tourist train on 7 April 2023. The Shri Ramayana Yatra is a theme based pilgrimage tour by Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist train on Ramayana circuit which covers the prominent sacred places associated with the life of Lord Rama. Apart form this, the […]

Courtesy Hiru News Tourist arrivals for the second month in succession went pass the 100,000 market with February recording 107,639 arrivals. The January arrival figure was 102,545. This was 96,507 in February 2022 showing an increase of over 11% as against the second month of previous year. For the third successive month Russia became the […]

Courtesy Tempo.co TEMPO.CO, Colombo – Sri Lanka will launch a mobile app on March 1 to protect tourists, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said on Saturday, Feb. 25. The minister, addressing an event in Colombo, said this is one of the best mobile applications in the region for tourist safety. “The app can be operated in seven languages,” […]

Mike Unwin  Courtesy https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/ Since Sri Lanka’s Jetwing Vil Uyana resort opened, its rewilded lands have lured native birds and animals back to the area, offering guests front-row seats… As early evening arrives in central Sri Lanka, I find myself searching a dark forest for a small animal. The idea is to sweep the beam […]

By Nishel Fernando Courtesy The Daily Mirror Eyeing to welcome 250,000 Indian tourists this year, Sri Lanka is exploring the possibility of adopting India’s home-grown cross-border digital payment systems as part of the country’s strategy to lure in more Indian tourists by enabling a cashless travel experience. In an interview with an Indian news agency […]

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia Feb 1 (AdaDerana) – Sri Lanka has been listed amongst the ‘50 Most Instagrammable Places in the World 2023’ on travel website ‘Big 7 Travel’. The island nation made it to the Top 10 of the list, ranking ninth, amongst Italy, England, France and USA. The list is developed via a comprehensive scoring […]

Courtesy Adaderana Sri Lanka has seen a significant increase in the number of tourist arrivals for the month of January 2023, compared to the numbers seen in January 2022. A summary report issued by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed an increase of over 20,000 tourist arrivals, with a total of 102,545 arrivals […]

Courtesy Daily Mail The staircase at Ambuluwawa Tower is shielded only by a waist-high handrail Footage by blogger Janet Newenham shows the climb isn’t for the faint-hearted She said: ‘The busier the tower, the more claustrophobic one can feel’ The views from the top of Ambuluwawa Tower in Sri Lanka are heavenly, but some may find […]