Tour operators appreciated the decision of the authorities of Sri Lanka to introduce mandatory electronic visas

Tour operators believe that the introduction of preliminary electronic visas by the Sri Lankan authorities will not have a significant impact on the flow of tourists to the country. As Anex Tour noted, registration of electronic permission does not take much time - officially it takes 48 hours, in practice – less time. All tourists, who flew until March 12, now are on the island with visas upon arrival, all others will have to get an electronic permit.

Director of Pantheon company Anatoly Garkushin believes that an electronic entry permit, issued in advance, is a logical safeguard measure to avoid of concentration of tourists at Colombo Airport.

At the same time, a number of observers say that this measure is a response of Sri Lankan authorities to the global panic around the coronavirus. But it is aimed at the maximum preservation of the tourist flow. The government adopted this decision on March 11 after the WHO announced a pandemic of the disease.

According to experts, Sri Lanka will remain as an opened destination for Russian tourists and will be in demand. Tour operators say that no cancellation of tours was noted, only the activity of tourists decreased slightly due to the drop of rubble.