Sri Lanka Tourism’s Travel Influencer Facilitation Program (also known as Visiting Blogger Program) has undertaken creative influencer promotional campaigns by covering diversified tourism experiences around the island, including various regional territories for the year 2022 subsequently. Over the first one and half months (up to 10th March 2022), the Visiting Blogger Program (VBP) collaborated with …
Departure tax at Ratmalana Airport to be slashed by 50% to entice low-cost carriers
A decision has been taken to provide concessions to airlines that will start operations from Ratmalana Airport so that more low-cost carriers are lured to fly into Sri Lanka. The Tourism Ministry said that the airport departure tax would be trimmed by 50 percent. The concession will become active from March 27 and be in …
Tourist arrivals cross 250,000
Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have exceeded 250,000 so far, despite the challenges emanating from the global COVID pandemic. As per provisional data released by the Tourism Ministry yesterday, Sri Lanka has received 250,881 travellers as of 20 March. “We have welcomed over 250,000 tourists so far this year, which is a significant achievement,” Tourism …
Ratmalana to resume regional, int’l flights from 27 March
Creating a historic landmark in Sri Lanka aviation history Sri Lanka’s first international airport Ratmalana (Colombo International Airport) will entertain direct flights to the Maldives commencing from March 27. The operation is expected to start with a 50 seater aircraft flying twice weekly and extend to a four flights per week schedule later. Maldivian currently …
Sri Lanka signs with Emirates to boost tourism
Emirates has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau at the Emirates Group headquarters in Dubai. The agreement reaffirms a commitment to Sri Lanka and outlines mutually beneficial initiatives that will help revive the local tourism industry. The deal was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates senior vice president, commercial West Asia …
Maldivian joins Colombo skies
Maldivian, the national Maldivian carrier, will be flying in for the first time to Ratmalana on its inaugural SL flight on March 27. Commencing operations with four flights a week the airline will fly a small Dash 8300 50-seater aircraft on March 27, 29, 31 and April 3, Nawaloka Air Services GM and Head of …
Russia & Ukraine record highest tourist arrivals in SL in January
Written by Amani Nilar COLOMBO (News 1st); Ukraine constituted of 10% of all arrivals into Sri Lanka within the past month while Russia made up 16% of all tourist arrivals, the SLTDA report for tourism arrivals in January 2022 reveals. Out of the total arrivals of 82,327, over 31,000 tourists originated from central and eastern Europe, home …
Qatar Airways Boosts Sri Lanka Service To Pre-Pandemic Levels
The Qatari airline will now fly between Doha and Colombo five times per day. BY LUKE BODELL Qatar Airways has returned its Sri Lanka service to pre-pandemic levels after upping its schedule to the country. On February 24th, the airline added a fifth daily flight from Doha to Colombo to meet higher travel demand. Qatar …
Fully Vaccinated Travelers Can Now Enter Sri Lanka Without Testing
BY: TIM WRIGHT From today – 1 March – fully vaccinated travelers are no longer required to take a pre-departure Covid PCR or Rapid Antigen test to enter Sri Lanka. The announcement – which came just a few days ago (27 Feb) from the nation’s Ministry of Health – explained that individuals, who have received their full vaccination against …
Weddings, wellness, and gaming to attract Indian Tourists
Sri Lanka is going to take concrete steps in the near future to build up the infrastructure to attract Indian tourists. The Indian outbound tourist market represents one of the largest growing markets in the world and accounts for the largest amount of arrivals to Sri Lanka. As part of this strategy the Travel Agents …