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Sri Lanka announces free visas for travellers from 35 countries

Between Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO world heritage sites , its thriving wildlife, and pristine white sand beaches, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” has enough glimmer for everyone – and now, visiting the South Asia island nation, just off the coast of India, is about to get easier (and cheaper) for travellers from 35 countries.

Last week, Sri Lanka Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana announced a new six-month pilot programme launching on 1 October of this year, giving eligible visitors free 30-day tourist visas. This will eliminate the $50 visa fee tourists are typically required to pay until it ends in April 2025. Tourists from approved countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, will be issued free tourist visas upon arrival, Reuters reports .

The programme coincides with Sri Lanka's peak travel season , which generally has the best weather, lasting from December to mid-April.

“The aim of the government is to transform Sri Lanka into a free visa country, much like Singapore , Thailand , and Vietnam to tap into the benefits of a rapidly growing tourism industry,” Gunawardana said, after announcing the programme during an August cabinet briefing. Here's everything travellers need to know about Sri Lanka's new visa programme, according to tourism and immigration experts.

Why is Sri Lanka loosening travel requirements?

International travel to Sri Lanka has boomed in recent years, with nearly 1.2 million visitors from the beginning of this year to July alone, compared to just under 720,000 yearly visitors in 2022. Data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka reports that tourism from the first half of 2024 generated over $1.5 billion in revenue for the country, around $625 million more than the industry generated over the same period last year.

The bulk of this year’s visitors have come from India, with over 300,000 travellers, followed by Russia and the UK’s nearly 250,000 travellers combined – the second and third largest sources of arrivals this year, respectively – as per data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority . All three nations are included in the free visa program.

The country piloted a similar six-month programme in 2019 when it released free tourist visas in August of that year for US travellers, in an attempt to help rebuild its travel economy following the April 2019 terrorist attacks in Colombo. The move to expand Sri Lanka’s embrace of travellers this year could play a vital role in overcoming the economic and political hurdles persisting in the country since the pandemic and the 2022 financial crisis.

The new visa programme is just one initiative Sri Lanka is taking to bolster its tourism industry; others include the recent opening of the Pekoe Trail and new boutique hotel stays such as Kayaam House and wellness hotel Taprana . Sri Lanka’s previously under-the-radar south coast has recently bloomed into a hub for luxury resorts, surf clubs, and scene-y cocktail bars attracting adventure-seekers and lifestyle travellers alike.

“Anything that makes travel cheaper and easier has a positive impact, especially as it shows visitors are welcome,” says Michael Pullman , a travel advisor at Wild Frontiers Travel. “Travellers are rediscovering [ Sri Lanka as] a country that offers one of the best vacation experiences in Asia – the rock fortress of Sigiriya offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside; for world-class beaches, head to Bentota on the west coast or Tangalle beach on the southern coast; and wildlife lovers can seek leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and more in Yala National Park.”

Countries around the world are loosening travel restrictions to take advantage of the post-pandemic tourism boom: Japan , Italy , Turkey , and Thailand have launched new visa programmes for digital nomads; Kenya has dropped of all visa requirements for visitors regardless of nationality; in February the UK introduced the Electronic Travel Authorisation initiative for Gulf and UAE nationals; and six Gulf countries are pursuing a multi-national visa agreement.

“This initiative could give Sri Lanka an edge over its neighbours in an incredibly competitive market,” Armand Arton, chairman of the Global Citizen Forum and CEO of Arton Capital, a financial advisory firm that facilitates secondary residence and citizenship programs, tells Traveller . “Sri Lanka may be able to become one of the most popular tourist hubs in Asia and reap the benefits that will follow.”

Which 35 countries are approved for free visas?

Travellers from the following countries will be approved for free 30-day tourist visas to Sri Lanka starting on 1 October, 2024 until April 2025:

• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States

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The best Milan hotels

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Italy ’s financial capital is also the country’s most cosmopolitan city, bursting with creative flair and cultural panache. Over the last few years, smart hotels have sprung up throughout. Bourgeois palazzi harbouring leafy courtyards (a typical feature of Milanese architecture) have been converted into sleek properties, some belonging to big-ticket international chains such as Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons.

This being Italy’s fashion capital, there’s no shortage of glamorous hotels to act as a base for a little people watching (the Bulgari is a prime example). Yet Milan isn’t all about fashionistas satisfying their craving for the limelight. Tucked away here and there are welcoming B&Bs and affordable family-run hotels that won’t break the bank. Here are the best hotels in Milan to bed down during your stay. For more recommendations, see our pick of the best affordable hotels in Milan .

How we choose the best hotels in Milan

Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve. Find out more about our editorial standards and how we review hotels .

The best hotels in Milan 2024 at a glance:

• Best for a city centre location: Four Seasons Milano
• Best affordable stay: LaFavia Milano
• Best for near the Duomo: Room Mate Giulia
• Best boutique hotel : Senato Hotel Milano
• Best for couples: Mandarin Oriental, Milan

Portrait Milano, Italy Arrow

Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world

Over the last decade, Italy ’s now-leafy design capital has transformed itself from a grey business blur into a dashing contemporary feather in the nation’s cap. It’s a must-do weekend with a raft of museum expansions, “centralissimo” restaurants, and a second wave of hotel openings just a five-minute whoosh away from Linate Airport on the city’s high-speed sustainable metro. Portrait Milano places visitors at the city’s physical, spiritual, and luxurious heart with the restoration of this baroque religious college hidden in the lauded Fashion Quadrilateral. Its vast private courtyard was inaugurated as a new public piazza by Milan ’s mayor in December 2022. Meanwhile, its ground floor is set to be a new Milanese playground with a roll-call of Italian fashion, spa, and restaurant coups. Suites are roomy Milanese mid-century apartments in walnut and cardinal red velvet, with luxe details like antler-like leather handles by Florentine craftsmen and comprehensive vanity kits in the powder rooms. Stephanie Rafanelli

Price: Rooms from around £899 per night

Hotel address: Corso Venezia, 11, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

First in: Casa Baglioni, Milan Arrow

Best Milan hotel for: an arty, rooted stay

Brera – Milan's art district – is not shy of a big-name hotel opening. In February 2023 – just in time for fashion week – Casa Baglioni officially opened its doors, joining the ranks of Bulgari, Armani and Mandarin Oriental along these narrow streets stuffed with designer boutiques and hidden art studios. It's part of the Baglioni family, of course, and the Italian-founded brand thrives most when on home turf. This is a supremely comfortable place to bed down. But the fact that its greatest charms – its celebration of mid-century Milanese artists everywhere you turn, from the enormous chandelier in the lobby to the little art pocket-guide left in your room – creeps up on you rather than slaps you in the face is a welcome relief from some of the more overtly flashy hotels in the neighbourhood. All has been meticulously curated and the result is stylish and grown-up. The team are proud of their new location; Brera is still a locals' district, really, and one of the artiest in Italy – book a tour with one of the exceptional tour guides the team has found to get under the skin of the place, from private museum tours to the chance to poke around fascinatingly quirky artist studios. Sarah James

Price: Rooms from around £687 per night

Address: Casa Baglioni, Via dei Giardini, 21, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

Park Hyatt Milano, Milan hotel review Arrow

Best Milan hotel for: first time visitors

The Park Hyatt Milano is, as the contemporary parlance goes, so back. The property, which takes up residence in an 18th-century palazzo, looks fresh-faced and gorgeous after a multi-year and multi-phase renovation executed through the peak of the pandemic. Now the bolthole is the place to base yourself in Milan, especially for first-timers, thanks to its close proximity to tourist attractions like the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — both next door — as well as the Castello Sforzesco and the Teatro alla Scala. It has all the hallmarks of a big-name and big-chain property (not that convention rooms or a loyalty points program put a hotel lower on anyone’s ranking), but there’s a sense of boutique-ness to it – if not necessarily in practice then in scale and design. It feels distinctly of Milan: stylish and sleek, creative and confident, proudly Italian. Interiors resemble sophisticated tonal dressing — the rooms, personified, are a well-groomed Italian gentleman in monochromatic Zegna cashmere jovially mingling with the crowds at Milan Fashion Week. Supper is an event at Pellico 3, which has only 28 seats and a menu that proposes just three Milanese and Lombardian dishes for each of the antipasti, primi, and secondi courses (four for dessert). As for the bar, Mio Lab, open until midnight, emphasises creative mixology — the name literally means “my laboratory.” In the spring summer, the space extends to a patio outside, called Dehors, perfect for sipping on Campari spritzes and watching the bustle of Milan go by. Matt Ortile

Price: Rooms from around £800 per night

Hotel address: Via Tommaso Grossi, 1, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

Mandarin Oriental, Milan

Best Milan hotel for: hip luxury

Set in an early 20th-century residence a few steps from the Fashion District, the Mandarin is all soft, mellow tones and elegant boiserie crafted by Italian artisans. Locals and guests flock to the Mandarin Bar & Bistrot to sip on inventive cocktails in a bold geometric setting (in summer , the action moves outside to the leafy courtyard). At Michelin-starred Seta, Executive Chef Antonio Guida crafts creative Italian dishes influenced by his Apulian roots. Wellness seekers make a beeline for the soothing spa , complete with a swimming pool, saunas and steam rooms, and holistic treatments that combine the best of Eastern and Western therapies.

Price: Rooms from around £887 per night

Address : Mandarin Oriental, Via Andegari 9, 20121 Milan, Italy

Bulgari Hotel Milano

Best Milan hotel for: devoted fashionistas

In summer, the jet-set gather in Bulgari’s gorgeous gardens shaded by horse chestnuts and plane trees to sip cocktails at one of Milan’s best aperitivi – there is, after all, no better place to see or be seen. Inside, all is sleek black Zimbabwean marble, bronze and Burmese teak wood. In the rooms, light floods in through soaring windows while handsome bathrooms have granite bathtubs and flashes of travertine stone as well as, of course, divine Bulgari toiletries. Head to the spa for a little pampering 4there’s a 12-metre gold mosaic swimming pool ) before indulging in classic Italian dishes at the restaurant , overseen by acclaimed chef Niko Romito.

Price: Rooms from around £1,060 per night

Address : Bulgari Hotel Milano, Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7B, 20121 Milan, Italy

Four Seasons Hotel Milano

Best Milan hotel for: refined elegance

Housed in a 15th-century convent, Four Seasons Milano exhales a peaceful serenity, with a cloistered courtyard adorned with laurels and box trees. The location can’t be beaten – step outside and you’re on Via Gesù in the heart of Milan’s Fashion District. Original features have been beautifully preserved, including stone carvings, stucco ceilings and frescoes. The décor is classically elegant, with rich Fortuny fabrics, burl and pearwood cabinets and Carrara marble bathrooms. There’s a beautiful spa in the convent’s former cellar, with a swimming pool where you can do a few laps beneath elegant, vaulted ceilings. Top tip: on Sundays, the hotel hosts a popular brunch, with sweet treats laid out in the Chocolate Room, a room entirely coated in 300kg of chocolate .

Price: Rooms from around £1,059 per night

Address: Four Seasons Milano, Via Gesù 6-8, 20121 Milan, Italy

Hotel Principe di Savoia

Best Milan hotel for: traditional grandeur

This is one of Milan’s grande dame hotels, with resplendent interiors marrying classic and Art Deco features. A huge Murano glass chandelier and classical paintings by the likes of Luca Giordano hang in the lobby lounge, while the elegant bedrooms are embellished with frescoes and bespoke Italian furnishings. As the sun sets, celebrities and socialites sip cocktails at Principe Bar, characterised by an eye-popping sculpted tinted crystal bar and back-lit mirrored wall, before nipping over to Acanto for Italian dishes supported by one of the finest wine lists in Milan. In the mornings, you’ll find early birds working out at Club 10, the hotel’s swanky 10th-floor fitness centre, getting a sweat on as they soak up city views from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Price: Rooms from around £462 per night

Address: Hotel Principe di Savoia, Piazza della Repubblica 17, 20124 Milan, Italy

Room Mate Giulia

Best Milan hotel for: vintage lovers

It’s all quirky design features with bright pops of colour at this hotel smack in the centre of Milan, steps away from the imposing Duomo. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola took inspiration from 1960s Milanese residences, giving life to retro interiors in bold hues that burst with personality. Walls are brightened up with works by local artists, photographers and illustrators, while the colour-coded rooms come in shades of green, light blue and terracotta, with furnishings in bright palettes contrasting with geometric designs. Breakfast is served until midday, with a colourful display featuring fruits in market crates and, while there’s no restaurant, there’s no shortage of dining options nearby. There’s a small gym in the basement, along with a steam room, sauna and treatment room.

Price: Rooms from around £267 per night

Address: Room Mate Giulia, Via Silvio Pellico 4, 20121 Milan, Italy

Senato Hotel Milano

Best Milan hotel for: a sleek boutique stay

This sophisticated bolthole is a world away from the frenetic thoroughfare of Via Senato; cross the road and you’ll be swallowed up into the cobbled streets of the Fashion District. At the entrance of the hotel, a shallow courtyard pool exudes an aura of calm, while handcrafted lamps in the shade of ginkgo leaves hover above the reception area. Black, white and brass feature heavily, with all-white rooms decked out in contemporary Milanese furnishings. This sleek den is run by the Ranza family (the five-storey Neoclassical building was formerly their private residence), who were keen to lend a strong Milanese stamp – furnishings are made by local craftsmen, while ingredients at Senato Caffè are carefully sourced from small and medium-sized producers in Lombardy.

Price: Rooms from around £242 per night

Address: Senato Hotel Milano, Via Senato, 22, 20121 Milan, Italy

Armani Hotel Milano

Best Milan hotel for: fashion week

Set within the city’s discernibly glitzy Montenapoleone district, Giorgio Armani’s self-styled hotel serves as a bolthole for the international catwalk scene come fashion week. Expect the same level of high-end minimalism as you would from the clothing line, with floor-to-ceiling windows, rooms flooded with natural light, and a calming, modern palette of grey, powder blue, and pearl. The whole room is also iPad operated – curtains, lights, even room service. Come sundown, guests head to the Michelin-starred Armani/Ristorante, for Italian plates with international influence, such as the lasagne with langoustines, baby squid sauce, and tomato confit. There’s also the adjacent Armani/Bamboo Bar, with postcard-worthy views across the city and to the Duomo, and a bespoke Milanese cocktail list (try the herb-infused Bosco Verticale). Top tip: book a table on a Sunday evening for its live jazz sessions.

Price: Rooms from around £1,001 per night

Address: Armani Hotel, Via Alessandro Manzoni, 31, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

Vico Milano

Best Milan hotel for: sophisticated urbanites

With only seven bedrooms, Vico Milano serves as the perfect Milanese pied-à-terre a short walk from trendy Via Tortona. Set in a former racing bike factory (it later became the fashion studio and showroom of the Baccheschi Berti family, who today run the hotel), the furniture here is handcrafted by Tuscan and Sicilian artisans. Decorative items were sourced from far and wide (think Persian rugs and Balinese wall hangings), while velvets, woods and marble exude a sexy vibe. In the rooms, teak floors, off-white walls and potted plants continue the serene ambience, while in the bathrooms Moroccan glazed tiles in vivid hues of pink, emerald and burgundy bring zest and verve. Descend the glass-encased staircase to the den downstairs where barmen shake up drinks and serve wines from the family vineyard in Tuscany .

Price: Rooms from around £231 per night

Address : Vico Milano, Corso Genova 11, 20123 Milan, Italy

LaFavia Milano

Best Milan hotel for: stylish comforts that won’t break the bank

In a 19th-century residential apartment block, this delightful B&B mixes vintage and Art Deco and is within striking distance of the financial district of Porta Nuova. The apartment brims with character, decorated with finds that owners Marco and Fabio have acquired from their travels over the years (Indian rugs from Darjeeling; a Mexican statue depicting La Catrina; a palm-shaped lamp and wicker chairs from Barcelona ), along with items of furniture passed down by family members. The rooms feature charming touches with playful designs including ochre flowered wallpaper and hand-painted Sicilian tiles in the bathrooms. We especially like the delightful terrace where breakfast is served during the warmer months of the year.

Price: Rooms from around £96 per night

Address: LaFavia Milano, Via Carlo Farini 4, 20154 Milan, Italy

Ostello Bello

Best Milan hotel for: night owls on a budget

This lively hostel bursts with character, with knick-knacks and curios, snapped up at antique markets lending the interiors a homelike feel. It’s decidedly laid back, with some guests lounging about playing board games and others strumming tunes (there’s a piano and a few string guitars knocking about). Guests can bed down in private doubles or comfortable dorm rooms, complete with en-suite bathrooms, while the kitchen is stocked with freebies – fruits, greens, pasta – for guests to rustle up a meal when hunger strikes. The bar is hugely popular, hosting a myriad of regular events, with quiz nights, poetry slams and live music gigs attracting a local international crowd.

Price: Rooms from around £110 per night

Address: Ostello Bello, Via Medici 4, 20123 Milan, Italy

Locanda Pandenus

Best Milan hotel for: affordable chic

You’d be forgiven for missing the entrance of this little bolthole tucked away above a bustling bistro-slash-café. Squeeze your way past the busy bar to the sound of coffee machines humming and whirring and head upstairs to this hideaway with only four rooms. You’ll find thick velvets in bold hues of terracotta and turquoise, retro geometric motifs and smart fabric wall coverings, while the elegant bathrooms with monsoon showers are fitted with white and black marble to exude a timeless appeal. There’s an itsy-bitsy lounge where you can sit back and unwind although the action is at the bistro – pop downstairs for a bite or an aperitivo as the sun begins to set.

Price: Rooms from around £201 per night

Address: Locanda Pandenus, Via Mercato 24, 20121 Milan, Italy

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These are India’s favourite hotels, airlines, destinations of the year

In a year when Indian travellers travelled far and wide, paying top-dollar for the finest experiences in the world, what are the hotels, destinations , airlines, airports that won their love? The results of Readers’ Travel Awards 2023 show that brands that have been delivering excellent experiences most consistently finished as favourites. Take, for instance, Rajasthan where heritage meets top-tier hospitality. The north Indian state was voted as the favourite state for vacations this year, whereas Kerala finished a close second for world-class wellness . It may have been the visas or it may have been the vistas, but Switzerland and France emerged as the Indian traveller’s favourite holiday destinations abroad. And The Oberoi, New Delhi, was crowned the best hotel for service in all of India. Here is the full list of winners at Readers’ Travel Awards , voted for by readers of Condé Nast Traveller through an online poll over six weeks from June to August 2023:

FAVOURITE LEISURE DESTINATION IN INDIA Winner: Rajasthan Runner up: Kerala

FAVOURITE INDIAN STATE FOR ROAD TRIPS Winner: Rajasthan Runner up: Maharashtra

FAVOURITE OVERSEAS DESTINATION Winner: Switzerland Runner up: France

FAVOURITE INDIAN BOUTIQUE HOTEL Winner: The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa, Gulmarg Runner up: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer

FAVOURITE BAR IN AN INDIAN HOTEL Winner: The Library Bar, The Leela Palace New Delhi Runner up: Cirrus 9, The Oberoi, New Delhi

FAVOURITE SPA IN AN INDIAN HOTEL Winner: The Spa, The Leela Palace Udaipur Runner up: The Oberoi Spa, The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New Chandigarh

FAVOURITE LGBTQ-FRIENDLY HOTEL IN INDIA Winner: Andaz Delhi Runner up: The LaLit New Delhi

FAVOURITE DESTINATION SPA Winner: Ananda in the Himalayas Runner up: Alila Fort Bishangarh

FAVOURITE INDIAN HERITAGE HOTEL Winner: Rambagh Palace, Jaipur Runner up: Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, The Savoy, Mussoorie

FAVOURITE INDIAN BUSINESS HOTEL Winner: The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai Runner up: The Oberoi, New Delhi

FAVOURITE OVERSEAS LEISURE HOTEL Winner: Soneva Fushi, Maldives Runner up: Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai

FAVOURITE INDIAN HOTEL FOR SERVICE Winner: The Oberoi, New Delhi Runner up: ITC Maurya, New Delhi

FAVOURITE SAFARI LODGE IN INDIA Winner: The Oberoi Vanyavilas Wildlife Resort, Ranthambhore Runner up: SUJÁN Sher Bagh, Ranthambhore

FAVOURITE INDIAN LEISURE HOTEL Winner: The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur Runner up: Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

FAVOURITE HOTEL FOR WEDDINGS IN INDIA Winner: The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New Chandigarh Runner up: ITC Grand Bharat, Gurugram

FAVOURITE INDIAN HOTEL FOR DESIGN Winner: The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra Runner up: The Leela Palace Udaipur

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IN AN INDIAN HOTEL Winner: Bukhara, ITC Maurya, New Delhi Runner up: Indian Accent, The Lodhi New Delhi

FAVOURITE INDIAN HOTEL FOR FOOD & DRINK Winner: ITC Maurya, New Delhi Runner up: Hyatt Regency Delhi

FAVOURITE LOYALTY PROGRAMME Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Runner up: Taj InnerCircle

FAVOURITE HOMESTAY IN INDIA Winner: Sunnymead Estate, Shimla Runner up: Premkunj, Udaipur

FAVOURITE PRIVATE VILLA RENTAL PLATFORM IN INDIA Winner: Airbnb Runner up: Lohono Stays

FAVOURITE AIRPORT Winner: Singapore Changi Airport Runner up: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai

FAVOURITE DOMESTIC AIRLINE Winner: Vistara Runner up: IndiGo

FAVOURITE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE Winner: Singapore Airlines Runner up: Emirates

All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Sri Lanka Chevron

Sri Lanka Announces Free Visas for Travelers From These 35 Countries

Between Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO world heritage sites , its thriving wildlife, and pristine white sand beaches, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” has enough glimmer for everyone—and now, visiting the South Asia island nation, located off the coast of India, is about to get easier (and cheaper) for travelers from 35 countries.

On August 22, 2024, Sri Lanka Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana announced a new six-month pilot program launching October 1 of this year, which will give eligible visitors free 30-day tourist visas. This will temporarily eliminate the $50 visa fee tourists are typically required to pay until April 2025. Tourists from the approved countries, including the US and the UK, will be issued free tourist visas upon arrival, Reuters reports .

The program coincides with Sri Lanka's peak travel season (which generally has the best weather), lasting from December to mid-April.

“The aim of the government is to transform Sri Lanka into a free visa country, much like Singapore , Thailand , and Vietnam to tap into the benefits of a rapidly growing tourism industry,” Gunawardana said after announcing the program at an August cabinet briefing. Here's everything travelers need to know about the new Sri Lanka visa program, according to tourism and immigration experts.

Why is Sri Lanka loosening travel requirements?

International travel to Sri Lanka has boomed in recent years, with nearly 1.2 million visitors from the beginning of this year to July alone (compared to just under 720,000 yearly visitors in all of 2022). Data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka reports that tourism from the first half of 2024 generated over $1.5 billion in revenue for the country, around $625 million more than what the industry generated over the same period last year.

The bulk of this year’s visitors have come from India, with over 300,000 travelers, followed by Russia and the UK’s nearly 250,000 combined travelers (the second and third largest sources of arrivals this year, respectively), per data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority . All three nations are included in the free visa program.

The country piloted a similar six-month program in 2019 when it released free tourist visas in August of that year for US travelers, as an incentive to rebuild its travel economy following the April 2019 terrorist attacks in Colombo. The move to expand Sri Lanka’s embrace of travelers this year could play a similarly vital role in pushing past the economic and political hurdles that have persisted in the country since the pandemic and the 2022 financial crisis.

The new visa program is just one initiative Sri Lanka is taking to bolster its tourism industry, like the recent opening of the Pekoe Trail and the establishment of new boutique stays like Kayaam House and wellness hotel Taprana . Sri Lanka’s previously under-the-radar south coast has recently bloomed into a hub for luxury resorts, surf clubs, and scene-y cocktail bars attracting adventure-seekers and lifestyle travelers alike.

“Anything that makes travel cheaper and easier has a positive impact, especially as it shows visitors are welcome,” says Michael Pullman , a travel advisor at Wild Frontiers Travel . “Travelers are rediscovering [Sri Lanka as] a country that offers one of the best vacation experiences in Asia— the rock fortress of Sigiriya offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside; for world-class beaches, head to Bentota on the west coast or Tangalle beah on the southern coast; and wildlife lovers can seek leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and more in Yala National Park.”

Countries around the world are loosening travel restrictions to take advantage of the post-pandemic tourism boom: Japan , Italy , Turkey , and Thailand have launched new visa programs for digital nomads; Kenya has dropped of all visa requirements for visitors regardless of nationality; China has reduced visa requirements for US visitors; and six Gulf countries are pursuing a multi-national visa agreement.

“This initiative could give Sri Lanka an edge over its neighbors in an incredibly competitive market,” Armand Arton, Chairman of the Global Citizen Forum and CEO of Arton Capital, a financial advisory firm that facilitates secondary residence and citizenship programs, tells Traveler . “Sri Lanka may be able to become one of the most popular tourist hubs in Asia and reap the benefits that will follow.”

Which 35 countries are approved for free visas?

Travelers from the following countries will be approved for free 30-day tourist visas to Sri Lanka starting on October 1, 2024 until April 2025:

• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States

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