06/05/2024
🚨 **Sri Lanka's Tourism Industry Alert** 🚨
Recent changes to the tourist visa process are raising red flags and threatening our country's economic recovery plans. Here's are the details:
🔍 **Transparency Concerns**: On April 17th, 2024, a new regulation came into effect, mandating all tourist visa applications to be submitted through a private company website, replacing the government-operated Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system. This shift raises questions about transparency and accountability.
📉 **Impact on Tourism**: The new process comes with several drawbacks:
1️⃣ **Increased Cost**: The previously available single-entry 30-day visa option is no longer offered. Now, tourists are required to apply for a six-month multiple-entry visa costing US$100.77, significantly higher due to additional fees.
2️⃣ **Reduced Competitiveness**: Sri Lanka's visa fees are now the highest in Asia, deterring tourists compared to regional competitors offering free or cheaper visas.
3️⃣ **Complex Application Process**: Critics slam the new website's application process as unfriendly and overly complex.
4️⃣ **Online Visa Application vs. VFS Operations**: Transitioning visa applications online generally enhances convenience and efficiency for travelers worldwide. However, outsourcing this process to VFS Global might be seen as regressive, considering the global trend towards digitalization. It's a step backward from the advancements made in online processing.
5️⃣ **Possible Corruption**: There could be underhand dealings :
- **Controversy Surrounding VFS Operations**: The introduction of VFS operations in Sri Lanka has sparked controversy, especially among taxpayers who question foreign involvement in immigration procedures. Concerns regarding transparency, accountability, and potential biases have emerged, particularly as the transition seems like a regression from the previously established online process.
- **Presidential Election Context**: The timing of these developments, coinciding with the upcoming presidential election, raises suspicions of political motives and financial implications. It's not uncommon for such decisions to be influenced by electoral considerations, potentially leading to commissions or kickbacks. Thus, the correlation between this deal and the impending election may not be coincidental.
- **Financial Considerations and Public Trust**: The addition of processing fees by VFS, alongside existing visa fees, raises concerns, especially given past instances of alleged corruption in government dealings. The perception of kickbacks or commissions further undermines public trust in governance and necessitates scrutiny of financial arrangements.
- **Political Party Dynamics**: The direct involvement of the minister in extending invitations to members of other parties, coupled with rumors of financial inducements for party defections, adds complexity to the situation. It prompts questions about the nexus between political maneuvers and policy decisions, such as the outsourcing of immigration processing.
📊 **Potential Impact**: A recent study, accompanying a letter sent to the President, warns that these changes could drastically affect tourist arrivals. With the target of 2.3 to 2.5 million visitors in 2024 at risk, arrivals might plummet below 2 million.
📝 **Call to Action**: In the letter addressed to the President, stakeholders express deep concern that this policy contradicts the government's tourism revival efforts. They urge immediate intervention to restore a user-friendly visa process through a government website, akin to the previous ETA system. A readily available 30-day single-entry visa option at a competitive price is essential to sustain the positive momentum in our tourism industry and support Sri Lanka's broader economic recovery.
Let's unite and raise our voices to protect Sri Lanka's tourism sector and ensure a prosperous future for our nation.
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