The island nation of Sri Lanka was opened to tourists from all countries from January 21.
Following the initial Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, most countries in Asia closed their borders to tourism and few have reopened since. Sri Lanka will join the Maldives as one of two destinations in the region with open borders.
Sri Lanka Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga made the official announcement during a press conference on Thursday, confirming they would reopen the country’s borders from January 21. Both of the country’s international airports reopened on the same day.
“The livelihood of around 3 million people depends on tourism in Sri Lanka,” Ranatunga told the media. “It is our national responsibility to take into consideration the needs of our citizens that depend on this industry.”
As part of efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Sri Lanka created a “bio bubble,” which will give visitors a relative amount of freedom to travel within the country while still observing safety protocols.
Though there is no minimum time that a visitor must spend in the country, anyone coming from abroad must stay in a government-approved hotel or resort for up to two weeks upon arrival.
That means that travelers only coming for a short trip will just stay in their resort the entire time, while people who are planning longer stays will be able to move more freely within Sri Lanka once they complete their two-weeks of semi-quarantine.
Unlike places like Hong Kong and Australia, where people quarantining upon arrival must stay in their hotel rooms for the entire duration, Sri Lanka’s regulations are a bit laxer. Guests will have free rein on-property, so they can use facilities like pools, gyms, salons and restaurants.
Travelers can also leave the hotel during quarantine to go sightseeing, provided they do so carefully. About a dozen tourism sites and attractions are open to foreign visitors, but with caveats.
In addition to paying for flights and accommodation, travelers are responsible for the cost of Sri Lanka’s government-sanctioned health insurance ($12 US) and up to three Covid tests in-country ($40 each). (CNN)
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