More visa counters to cater to influx of tourists

Considering the influx of tourist arrivals, Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has directed officials at the Katunayake and Mattala airports to open additional visa counters to expedite the service process.

It was revealed during a progress review meeting that Russian tourists coming to Sri Lanka from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) have to wait for over four hours to obtain visas upon entering Sri Lanka. This is given the increase in the number of tourists arriving in the country with the start of the tourist season.

The Minister had instructed the Sri Lanka Airport and Aviation Services Chairman to immediately deploy additional staff in opening additional visa counters to assist immigration and emigration officers working in the airport.

Since many new airlines, including Bulgarian and Israeli airlines, have expressed their interest to resume service to Sri Lanka, the Minister has also instructed the Secretaries of Ports, Shipping and Aviation and Tourism Ministries to get the necessary approvals and to immediately prepare the necessary Cabinet papers and submit the same for approval.

A group of officials including Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, and Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe participated in this discussion.