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Colombo: India has asked Sri Lanka to reduce the USD 50 visa processing fee for its nationals and tourists from SAARC nations, with Indians topping the list of holiday makers in the picturesque country.
"India through its High Commission here told us that the visa fee is high. They wanted it reduced for all visitors covering SAARC nations", Chulananda Perera, Immigration Controller told a news agency.
The Indian concerns assume significance as it has now replaced Britain as Sri Lanka's top inbound travel market.
In September year on year, the Indian tourist arrivals had risen by 50 percent contributing to a 27 percent rise overall tourism authority said early this month.
Under Sri Lanka's new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system coming into force on 1 January 2012 all tourists to the island must pay a US dollar 50 processing fee. Only the travellers from Maldives and Singapore would be granted on arrival visas without a fee.
Tourist industry now looking to revive its fortunes after the end of the war with the LTTE has also expressed concerns over the scrapping of on arrival visas for nationals from 78 countries and replace it with ETA.
The government however has assured that the ETA would not cause problems in terms of delays deterring the would be travellers.
http://zeenews.**********/news/nation/india-wants-lanka-visa-fee-reduced_738063.html
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(zeenews India URLs aren't allowed here?)
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http://www.sundaytimes.lk/111023/News/nws_01.html
"India through its High Commission here told us that the visa fee is high. They wanted it reduced for all visitors covering SAARC nations", Chulananda Perera, Immigration Controller told a news agency.
The Indian concerns assume significance as it has now replaced Britain as Sri Lanka's top inbound travel market.
In September year on year, the Indian tourist arrivals had risen by 50 percent contributing to a 27 percent rise overall tourism authority said early this month.
Under Sri Lanka's new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system coming into force on 1 January 2012 all tourists to the island must pay a US dollar 50 processing fee. Only the travellers from Maldives and Singapore would be granted on arrival visas without a fee.
Tourist industry now looking to revive its fortunes after the end of the war with the LTTE has also expressed concerns over the scrapping of on arrival visas for nationals from 78 countries and replace it with ETA.
The government however has assured that the ETA would not cause problems in terms of delays deterring the would be travellers.
http://zeenews.**********/news/nation/india-wants-lanka-visa-fee-reduced_738063.html
-------------
(zeenews India URLs aren't allowed here?)
---------
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/111023/News/nws_01.html
