Govt. reopens on-arrival ETA counters at Katunayake, Mattala

Friday, 15 October 2021 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

To attract more tourists this winter, the Government has decided to reopen the on-arrival Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service to fully vaccinated international travellers from 10 October.

The Immigration and Emigration Department Controller General Sarath Rupasiri said issuance of on-arrival ETA would facilitate bona-fide tourists who were unable to obtain online ETA due to time constraints in arranging their journey to Sri Lanka.

The facility will be available at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) – Katunayake and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MIRA) – Hambantota.

The on-arrival ETA will be issued as per the provisions of the Immigrants and Emigrants Act and on par with all the Health Ministry COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

Fully vaccinated tourists are not required to do a PCR test or quarantine. However, travellers who are not fully vaccinated are subject to PCR testing and 14-day mandatory quarantine at a ‘Safe and Secure’-certified Level 1 hotel.

Despite the facility, the Controller General has advised the travel trade to encourage incoming tourists to obtain the online ETA prior to their arrival to avoid unnecessary delays at the airport.

Sri Lanka saw the highest tourist arrivals growth post-COVID in September with 13,547, propelling the cumulative figure to over 37,000.

Tourist arrivals in September recorded a sharp increase of 169% from August, largely influenced by the relaxed travel restrictions, aggressive vaccination programs around the world and growing consumer confidence.

In a bid to further relax the entry rules and make Sri Lanka more attractive to international travellers, the Government decided to resume the ETA for fully vaccinated international travellers with immediate effect.