Sri Lanka opens to international arrivals

Sri Lanka’s international borders have now opened to international travellers who present a negative Covid-19 test taken up to 96 hours before travel. Arrivals must undergo further testing once on the island on the fifth and seven days after arriving; and for those staying longer than seven days, a further test will be required the following week.

In addition, guests will be asked to quarantine within the confines of their hotel complexes (giving them access to gyms, pools and restaurants), and those staying longer than two weeks will be able to move freely within Sri Lanka after their initial two weeks of semi-confinement (although they will need to stay at one of the approved safe and secure hotels, not Airbnbs or guesthouses, and they will need to continue to use the Visit Sri Lanka app).

Medical cover a mandatory requirement

From the conditions listed, it seems that local authorities are pushing for some version of luxury tourism. In addition, travellers are permitted to leave the hotel during quarantine to go sightseeing – for example, on organised tours to ‘bio bubble’ attractions like Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) and the Royal Botanic Gardens; and the use of public transport is discouraged, with officials urging people to travel via private car.

“The livelihood of around three million people depends on tourism in Sri Lanka,” said Sri Lanka Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga. “It is our national responsibility to take into consideration the needs of our citizens that depend on this industry.”

Sri Lanka may well recoup some of its losses from the past year through this latest move. And as CNN reports that travellers are required to pay out for Sri Lanka’s government-sanctioned health insurance, in addition to the two/three mandatory in-country Covid tests that cost around $40 each, they might make a pretty penny yet.

However, all this is also dependent on airlines and source tourism countries reducing restrictions on international travel. Especially as, in March 2020, Europe was reported as being the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka (accounting for 60 per cent) – and much of Europe is currently battling with a surge of Covid cases and a delay in the supply of vaccine doses.