Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the Government will resume international charter flights from December 26, nearly eight months after they were closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Initially, we will permit tourists to visit Sri Lanka via charter flights, and hope to resume commercial flights next month, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday
The Minister said they have called upon the health authorities to advise them on how they should handle the movements of tourists who will arrive on charter flights. The health authorities will give its final approval to the program on Monday (December 21), he said. He said they have called upon the health authorities to initially permit charter flights and thereafter monitoring the progress and with amendments, where necessary, we will resume commercial flight operations.
Minister Ranatunga said all arrangements have been made to resume charter flights from December 26. According to the program PCR tests on tourists will be done at the hotels before they are checked in. Those arriving on charter flights could visit Sri Lanka under a tour program.
Each tourist will have to undergo a PCR test 72 hours before visiting Sri Lanka and one on arrival. After five to seven days, they must do another PCR test. If the on-arrival PCR tests are negative, they can use travel bubbles to visit the areas they desire. When tourists visit archaeological sites such as Sigiriya or other important places, local tourists will not be permitted to visit such sites.
The Minister said if the PCR tests of the tourists are negative within five to seven days, they will be permitted to do shopping using a travel bubble and also to change their hotels.
He said, “There is a difference in tourists arriving in charter flights and commercial flights. Those coming on commercial flights could visit any place they wish. However, on charter flights, the tour operators will take them to the places they hope to visit. It would then be easier to monitor their movements and prevent them from visiting as separate groups.”
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has drawn up a special marketing plan to attract tourists to the country next year. This program will be implemented in keeping with the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the health authorities.
“Our aim is to achieve the target of 7.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka next year. However, this would not be easy as tourists are not willing to visit Sri Lanka under various restrictions imposed. Therefore, our aim is to bring in at least five million tourists next year,” the Minister said.