Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranathunga states that the government considers on the extension of the visa period of Ukrainian tourists who are unable to return to their country due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Minister further indicated that the relevant facts on this will be presented to the Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow (28). He pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already in discussions with the Department of Immigration and Emigration in this regard.

The Minister explained that the necessary steps will be taken considering the expiration date of visas for Ukrainians staying in the country since visas are issued for a minimum of one month for the tourists.

As per the reports of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), nearly 4,000 Ukrainian tourists are currently staying in Sri Lanka, while the number of Russian tourists staying in Sri Lanka is nearly 11,500.