Sri Lanka, July 26 -- Foreign and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said the Government has decided to waive visa fees for 40 additional countries to boost tourism. Speaking at the inauguration of the Hotel Show Colombo 2025" exhibition at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall in Colombo. The Minister said that the Cabinet of Ministers decided to provide free visa facility to tourists coming from forty more countries.

"We will allow tourists from forty more countries to enter Sri Lanka without a visa fee after the Gazette in this regard is issued", he said. The Minister emphasised that by taking this decision, the Treasury will forego an annual income of US$ 66 million.

"However, while we may lose that amount directly, ...