Tourist arrivals from 1st August: Only those negative of COVID-19 allowed to visit

COLOMBO (News 1st):Plans have been drawn to allow tourist arrivals into the country from the 1st of August, said Ministry of Tourism and Aviatio on Friday. With the closure of the Bandaranayake International Airport due to the COVID-19 pandemic back in March, the arrival of tourists to the country came to a standstill. "All tourists arriving in the island must carry a report confirming they do not carry the coronavirus and once they arrive, they will undergo PCR tests at the airport itself," told Siripala Hettiarachchi, the Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation to News 1st on Friday (June 12). According to Hettiarachchi, visas will not be issued free of charge and the tourists must spend more than 5 days in the country when visiting Sri Lanka. "All tourist hotels, from five-star hotels to homestays will be given a COVID-19 free certification said Hettiarachchi, emphasizing that tourists are advised to only stay at certified accommodations. Countries such as China, India, and Western European and North European countries have already made requests regarding re-visiting the country, according to the Ministry Secretary.