UK and Norway join bandwagon in relaxing travel advisory to Sri Lanka

The United Kingdom and Norway have joined the bandwagon in relaxing the travel advisory to Sri Lanka, which would encourage more of its citizens to visit the destination in the upcoming winter season. 

The announcement of lifting the travel advisory from the United Kingdom came yesterday, whereas from Norway it was on Thursday.

Taking the lead in this regard was France and Switzerland, which relaxed the travel advisory to destination Sri Lanka earlier this week. Commenting on the recent development, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said, “This is a positive step and I am positive that the winter tourism season will perform well.” 

The government of the United Kingdom, under its ‘Foreign Travel Advice’, updated its position to “no longer advises against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka”.  

The Nordic country took a similar stance. However, it advised its citizens to maintain vigilance, as protests could still take place in the island nation although the situation has improved in recent weeks. 

Having assessed the country’s situation and taking into account the prevalence of the ongoing economic crisis, Norway’s Foreign Affairs Ministry requested its citizens, who plan to travel to Sri Lanka, to carry with them the necessary medication and make sure that the hotels and transport have access to enough fuel during their stay. 
“We recommend that you follow developments closely and make thorough assessments of your security and ensure you have adequate travel insurance,” the Norway Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement. 

Norwegian travellers were also requested to download the Reiseklar app, so that they have instant access to updated information about over 200 countries. Further, the ministry urged its citizens to register their journey in the app so they can receive important messages and updates from the Norwegian authorities.”

The government of Norway issued a travel advisory against visiting Sri Lanka in early May, due to the eruption of demonstrations, curfews and protests, in addition to a state of emergency being imposed in the country.