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Sri Lankan opposition politicians are supporting protests from local travel industry members against a newly implemented visa scheme. The scheme, which has been criticized for being confusing and more expensive, is allegedly linked to a fraudulent agreement. Introduced by Sri Lankan authorities in April 2024, the scheme involves VFS Global for visa processing. The new visa fee has doubled to US$100 per visitor, up from the previous US$50 for a 30-day visa, which included a US$25 facilitation fee.
Travel industry stakeholders warned that the new visa scheme could lead to a decline in tourist arrivals. They highlighted strong arrival numbers in November 2023 and January 2024, which dropped significantly after mid-April 2024, following the introduction of the controversial VFS Global Visa system in Sri Lanka. By the end of May and June, arrival numbers fell below 2015 levels, with April seeing a decline below 2017 levels.
Due to industry protests, authorities reduced the visa fees to US$50, including a US$10 facilitation fee in May. However, citizens from seven countries—India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia—who are typically entitled to free visas, are still required to pay a US$10 facilitation fee per entry.
On July 26, six tourism organizations, including the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and the Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), filed a case in the Supreme Court, arguing that their “fundamental rights” had been violated by the new visa scheme. They objected to the new pricing and the confusing procedures.
SLAITO president Nishad Wijetunga criticized the system as complicated and confusing, noting that visa applicants now have to answer around 30 questions, up from 10 to 11 previously. Additionally, applicants who visit the Sri Lanka Immigration Department website are redirected to the VFS Global website, where they are asked for the country they intend to travel to, adding to the confusion.
THASL president M Shanthikumar mentioned that the website is not user-friendly, and travelers from India, Sri Lanka’s largest source market, have expressed genuine concerns.
Separately, three politicians from the main parliamentary opposition have also filed suits in the Supreme Court, claiming their rights were violated by what they perceive as a corrupt and fraudulent deal.
Authorities have denied any fraudulent activity in their transaction with VFS Global. However, there are security concerns, as a visitor who was issued a visa received details of another applicant via email. This issue is one of the reasons politicians have taken legal action, citing security flaws in the system.
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The post Sri Lankan Opposition Joins Travel Industry Protests Against Controversial New Visa Scheme appeared first on Travel And Tour World.”}]] Read More Travel And Tour World TOURISM NEWS, TRAVEL NEWS, VISA AND PASSPORT NEWS, International travel, Sri Lanka, Tourism news, travel industry, Travel News, Visa free travel, Visa News