Sri Lanka Simplifies Travel For Indian Tourists By Removing Eta Requirement, Aims To Increase Visitor Numbers With Focus On Spiritual

Published on November 1, 2025

Sri Lanka, a state known for its rich | taste heritage, tropical beaches, and scenic landscapes, is taking a awesome measurement to heighten its tourism sector. On October 31, 2025, Sri Lanka announced nan withdrawal of nan Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) request for tourists. The determination comes aft nan government’s move to make nan state moreover much charismatic to world visitors, peculiarly Indian tourists, by simplifying nan recreation process. Previously, Indian travelers were required to get an ETA earlier visiting Sri Lanka, but this instruction has now been revoked until further notice.

The alteration is group to use Indian travelers, who person agelong been 1 of nan largest tourer groups visiting Sri Lanka. The determination aligns pinch Sri Lanka’s extremity to pull complete five lakh Indian tourists successful 2025, pinch a typical attraction connected promoting wedding tourism and MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). The withdrawal of nan ETA request is expected to make recreation to Sri Lanka much seamless, eliminating an administrative measurement that often added to nan complexity of readying a trip.

Key Highlights of Sri Lanka’s New Travel Policy:

• ETA Requirement Withdrawn: Indian visitors are nary longer required to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) earlier walking to Sri Lanka, making recreation much straightforward.
• Focus connected Indian Tourists: Sri Lanka is intensifying its efforts to pull five lakh Indian visitors successful 2025, pinch a beardown push for wedding and MICE tourism.
• Simplified Travel Process: The removal of nan ETA request is expected to make recreation easier for Indian nationals by reverting to nan erstwhile visa issuance system, eliminating an other administrative burden.
• Tourism Recovery and Growth: India remains Sri Lanka’s largest root of visitors, pinch Indian visitors accounting for complete 31% of full arrivals successful September 2025.
• Expansion of Tourism Beyond Colombo: Indian travelers are now exploring destinations beyond Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, including Pachchamuddi and nan Ramayana Trails successful nan cardinal highlands.

Sri Lanka’s Strategy to Attract Indian Tourists

India has agelong been Sri Lanka’s largest root marketplace for world tourism. The withdrawal of nan ETA request is simply a strategical move to further fortify this connection, arsenic Indian travelers dress up a important information of nan country’s tourism industry. According to Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), over 20% of full visitors to Sri Lanka successful nan first 8 months of 2025 came from India. This represents an basal portion of Sri Lanka’s post-pandemic tourism recovery.

The move to region nan ETA request aligns pinch Sri Lanka’s eager extremity to boost tourism, particularly successful nan discourse of nan wedding and MICE tourism sectors. India, pinch its rich | taste diverseness and burgeoning mediate class, is considered an perfect marketplace for these types of tourism. In particular, Sri Lanka’s beaches, historical sites, and luxury hotels are charismatic to Indian couples readying destination weddings, arsenic good arsenic business groups seeking venues for conferences and exhibitions.

Sri Lanka’s Expanding Tourism Offerings

Sri Lanka is not only focusing connected accepted tourer attractions specified arsenic Colombo and Bentota but is besides expanding nan offerings to see newer destinations successful nan central highlands and lesser-explored regions. For instance, Sri Lanka’s Ramayana Trails person seen a increasing number of Indian visitors willing successful pursuing nan ineffable travel associated pinch nan Hindu epic. This has led to a dependable summation successful visitors venturing beyond nan celebrated formation destinations to research Sri Lanka’s taste and belief treasures.

The Sri Lankan authorities and tourism committee person besides been moving intimately pinch Indian recreation agents to create customized tour packages and facilitate smoother recreation logistics. Special efforts are being made to shape venue sourcing, event coordination, and discounted recreation packages for Indian travelers visiting Sri Lanka for weddings, conferences, and business meetings.

Sustainability and Tourism Development

In summation to easing visa requirements, Sri Lanka has besides put a beardown accent connected sustainable tourism practices. With nan maturation successful visitant numbers, particularly from India, Sri Lanka is making efforts to support its ecological equilibrium and sphere its earthy beauty. The authorities has implemented programs to guarantee that nan tourism industry’s improvement does not negatively effect nan environment, while besides prioritizing nan improvement of infrastructure successful less-visited areas.

The accent connected eco-friendly tourism initiatives, for illustration supporting local communities and promoting cultural heritage, aligns pinch nan world displacement toward responsible travel. Sri Lanka’s entreaty arsenic a sustainable destination continues to grow, and Indian visitors progressively for illustration locations wherever they tin bask an authentic and eco-conscious recreation experience.

Indian Tourists and Sri Lanka’s Tourism Growth

As of 2024, 4.16 lakh Indians visited Sri Lanka, contributing importantly to nan country’s tourism sector. In 2025, nan state is aiming to surpass this fig by attracting moreover much Indian tourists. The tourism recovery pursuing nan pandemic has been impressive, and nan Indian marketplace remains pivotal to this rebound. The summation successful nan mean walk per tourer is besides notable, pinch Sri Lanka targeting $180 per day successful tourer spending successful 2025, up from nan erstwhile mean of $170 successful 2024.

Indian visitors are not conscionable visiting for leisure; galore are now walking for spiritual, cultural, and acquisition purposes, making Sri Lanka an charismatic multi-dimensional destination. The country’s proximity to India, taste similarities, and easiness of recreation each lend to nan increasing number of Indian visitors.

Conclusion:

The removal of nan ETA requirement for Indian visitors is simply a important move by Sri Lanka to fortify its tourism ties pinch India. By making recreation easier, nan state is positioning itself to seizure a larger stock of nan Indian outbound tourism market, peculiarly successful nan wedding and MICE sectors. With a increasing number of Indian visitors exploring destinations beyond Colombo, Sri Lanka is expanding its entreaty to see spiritual, cultural, and eco-friendly experiences. This move is expected to boost Sri Lanka’s tourism betterment further and proceed its maturation trajectory successful nan coming years.