Tourism is booming in Sri Lanka, thanks to its rising popularity as a must-visit destination. To make it even more appealing, tourists from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan can travel to Sri Lanka without a visa. Instead, they need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arriving, which is free of charge. This scheme is valid until March 2024, allowing a 30-day visa with double entry.
In January 2024 alone, Sri Lanka welcomed a record-breaking 208,253 visitors, marking a 103.1% increase—the highest in four years. The first four days of February saw 28,493 arrivals, averaging 7,000 travelers a day, with tourists from Russia, India, the UK, Germany, and China leading the pack.
The tourism sector is predicted to receive around 2 million visitors in 2024, generating an estimated revenue of USD 6 billion. Offering visa-free travel encourages digital payment options, aligning with the preferences of today’s tech-savvy travelers.
The Visa Global Travel Intentions Study supports the idea that modern travelers seek experiential travel beyond tourist hot spots, emphasizing the importance of convenient and secure payment access. To enhance tourism, Sri Lanka must develop its payment infrastructure, ensuring various options like cards, contactless payments, QR codes, and online transactions are widely available.
While Sri Lanka has made progress in digital payments, there’s still work to be done, especially in areas outside the Western Province, where digital literacy remains a challenge. The government aims to attract 5 million tourists by 2029, anticipating USD 21.6 billion in revenue by 2030. This ambitious goal relies on increasing tourism spending to USD 4,000 per visitor, attracting high-spending tourists.
Cashless payments provide safety and convenience for tourists, allowing them to pay in the local currency and access discounts on various services. The combination of great experiences, natural beauty, and digital convenience positions Sri Lanka as an attractive and enriching holiday destination.
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