SL's new visa fee does not discourage int’l visitors: VFS Global

•  Says reduced momentum in tourist arrivals cannot be attributed to visa fee
•  Says awareness prior to launch would have better prepared industry to handle change

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has expressed serious concerns over the government’s decision to outsource visa issuance, making entry slightly more expensive. However, VFS Global, now managing the visa services, insists that the higher cost won’t discourage the international visitors.

The entity said that based on its experience in handling visa documentation in other markets, the visa fee is seldom the deciding factor.

In an exclusive interview with Mirror Business, a visiting senior official of VFS Global, who was recently in Colombo, asserted that any drop in tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka cannot and should not be attributed to the cost component.

“You know, in our experience, any marginal change in the visa fee or the service fee has really never impacted the number of arrivals into the country.

The decision to visit Sri Lanka is very different. It’s a wholesome decision based on what the destination has to offer and it really has a lot to offer,” the official said.

According to VFS Global, Sri Lanka as a tourist destination is “extremely well priced”, from its hotels, restaurants and experiences to logistics.

“A small fee associated with the visa will not make a decision negatively in terms of whether they should visit the destination,” the official reiterated, pointing out that the change in the system should be looked at from a long-term perspective, where the approval of visas is systematised.

The official noted that with VFS Global coming in, Sri Lanka can offer tourists several categories of visa types to choose from that best suit their needs. This way, Sri Lanka can lure repeat travellers, a focus area of the new campaign.

When questioned on why the entry of VFS Global created a lot of controversy and negativity in the industry, the senior official attributed the outburst to a lack of awareness about the new system and the timeline of the rollout.

The new visa regime was approved by the Cabinet in October 2023. However, much information was neither shared with the industry nor available in the public domain.

“It is a big change, moving from a 30-day product. I think awareness prior to the launch would have helped. If this was communicated to the industry players a bit more in advance, they would have been better prepared and aware of the benefits,” the official said.

To date, the tourism industry stakeholders have not met with VFS Global officials to share their concerns and exchange insights. The opportunity was not made available. However, the senior official said the entity is willing to engage with the industry stakeholders to help uplift Sri Lanka’s tourism landscape.

Meanwhile, the official shared that VFS Global has started interacting with the travel agents to provide insights on the visa application process in Sri Lanka and carrying out training as required. Most of the time, it is the agents that apply for visas on behalf of the tourists.

Reason being, most of the time, it is the agents that apply for visas on behalf of the tourists.