Sri Lanka will start off again with the ‘free visa on arrival’ service, in a bid to boost tourist arrivals during the lean months said Ministry of Tourism Development, Wildlife & Christian Religious Affairs john Amaratunga.

Accordingly, visa-on-arrival scheme for citizens of 39 countries will be implemented from 1 August, after the move, which was to be effective from 1 May, was suspended soon after the Easter Sunday attacks.

“We are now going to start off again with the ‘free visa on arrival’. Yesterday I had a chat with the prime minister. He said to prepare a cabinet paper to revive it. Earlier we had the cabinet approval for a number of countries other than china and India but because of the problem we had on the 21 of April we had to temporally suspend it until the country bounce back normalcy. Therefore, at this moment things are quite normal there is no threat of any terrorist organization.’ Amaratunga said, whilst addressing a media briefing in Colombo yesterday (9).

Speaking further minister noted that steps will be taken in order to avoid undesirable people coming to the country making use of this opportunity.

“There is another system that we are now developing to track, as soon as any passenger books the air ticket his whereabouts will be tracked and we can inform the emigration here now to allow them to come into the country, “He added.

Amaratunga said the revival Cabinet paper will be drafted soon as a joint Cabinet paper by the Ministry of Tourism Development and Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs.