Sri Lanka travel trade promised private visa levies would be lifted from May

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By Apsara Rodrigo

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has assured travel and tour operators the steep surcharges and levies on visa fees imposed when electronic travel authorization (ETA) was outsourced to a private company would be reversed from May 01.

Sri Lanka’s 50-dollar visa fee went up to 75 dollars and another 18.5-dollar fee. A hidden ‘convenience fee’ of 5 dollars or more was also hit on prospective travellers after shifting the island’s acclaimed ETA system to a private company.

“The Minister of Tourism has now assured us that the process will be reversed by May 1, 2024,” President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) Nishad Wijethunga said.

SAARC Visa fees increased by as much as 58.55 US dollars from 35 US dollars after the electronic travel authorization was outsourced to the privately owned VFS Global.

If Sri Lanka meets the planned tourism target of 2.3 million in 2024, the private levy would amount to 12.75 billion rupees. It is not clear to whom the 5 dollar plus convenience fee goes to.

-economynext.com

 

The post Sri Lanka travel trade promised private visa levies would be lifted from May first appeared on Daily Express.

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[[{“value”:” By Apsara Rodrigo COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has assured travel and tour operators the steep surcharges and levies on visa…

[[{“value”:” By Apsara Rodrigo COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has assured travel and tour operators the steep surcharges and levies on visa…