Sri Lanka makes travel easier for tourists, scraps visa fees and restores online applications

Published on: Sep 27, 2024, 13:14:27 IST

AFPPosted by Akanksha Agnihotri

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Sri Lanka's government has reactivated its online visa application process to support tourism. (Unsplash)

Sri Lanka's government has restored an online visa application platform to enhance tourism following a Supreme Court ruling against a disputed outsourcing deal.

Sri Lanka has restored an online visa application platform to encourage tourism after its top court suspended a controversial multimillion-dollar deal that outsourced visa processing to a foreign consortium. The government of newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said late Thursday that the move was intended to promote the island nation's key tourism sector, as its economy limps out of the 2022 financial crisis.

Tourists will now be able to apply for a visa online without paying the $25 charged by India-based VFS Global, which won an outsourcing contract in April from the previous government. Rights activists had alleged in court that the contract was not awarded transparently and said the consortium stood to earn up to $2.75 billion over a 16-year period. Sri Lanka's Supreme Court in August ordered immigration authorities to revert to the online platform that was used prior to the award to VFS.

Sri Lanka Restores Online Visa Applications

"The visa facility provided by the VFS Global has caused significant difficulties for many," Dissanayake's office said in a statement Thursday, adding that foreigners had faced challenges obtaining visas. On Wednesday, immigration chief Harsha Ilukpitiya was arrested for failing to heed the Supreme Court's decision.

Ilukpitiya had awarded the multimillion-dollar contract to India's GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, along with VFS Global as a partner, to process visa applications from April. "We have initiated an immediate forensic audit to investigate the irregularities associated with the VFS Global," the president's office said Thursday. "Any discrepancies found will be subject to legal action."

AFP has contacted VFS in Sri Lanka for comment. Under the outsourcing deal, any foreigner entering Sri Lanka was required to pay a $25 visa processing fee -- even citizens of countries that had visa-free travel arrangements with Sri Lanka. About 1.19 million tourists came to the island in the first seven months of this year, up 56 percent from the same period in 2023, according to central bank data.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Akanksha Agnihotri
Akanksha Agnihotri is a lifestyle journalist with over 3 years of experience. She is a psychology graduate and holds a postgraduate diploma in Radio and Television Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, where she graduated as a gold medalist. Originally from Bhopal, the beautiful capital of Madhya Pradesh, she draws inspiration from the city’s rich cultural heritage and layered storytelling traditions that subtly shape her narrative voice. She writes extensively about fashion, beauty, health, relationships, culture, and food, exploring everything from trending styles and runway moments to wellness routines and mindful living. Passionate about meaningful and candid conversations, she enjoys interviewing celebrities, doctors, designers, and film personalities, diving into discussions on fitness, beauty, mental health, and everything fun in between. With a keen eye for trends and a thoughtful understanding of human behaviour, she brings depth, sensitivity, and authenticity to her stories, ensuring they resonate with a wide and diverse audience. When she’s not working, you’ll usually find her lost in a book, planning her next mountain trek, or mapping out spontaneous travel escapes. She loves discovering new authors, revisiting old favourites, and spending quiet afternoons in museums soaking in art, history, and culture. An avid bird-watching enthusiast, she finds joy in early morning walks, spotting rare birds, and reconnecting with nature. Whether sipping coffee while journaling her thoughts or exploring hidden corners of a new city, she constantly seeks inspiration in everyday moments that often turn into compelling story ideas.Read More

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.