Visa blues – 2
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By midday today (Sunday) it would all be over bar the shouting. I mean … the result of the presidential election.
Another issue – apart from the polls – that has drawn the attention of Sri Lankans is the visa crisis which each week shows a level of uncertainty. For this reason, I am compelled to revisit the visa crisis for the second successive week and consider lessons on how not to do business in tourism.
My friend Ruwanputha, a young economist, when he called four days ago (Thursday), said he had done some research on the tourism crisis and had accumulated a large number of complaints by tourists seeking information on getting a visa, based on social media interactions.
The fact that would-be visitors are desperately seeking information and advice on the web is a huge embarrassment to
Sri Lanka and a country that is desperately wooing visitors. With such a crisis, visitors may opt to visit other countries with less visa concerns.
“So how did you get your information on Sri Lanka’s inability to provide adequate information to tourists on getting a visa?” I asked him. “Well I collected data from Facebook which is loaded with inquiries from would-be tourists asking how to get a visa,” he said.
“This is a huge embarrassment as no one believes whatever information available on the official websites,” I said.
The official www.srilanka.travel web said: “The Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka has informed that the online visa portal (www.srilankaevisa.lk) has been deactivated with immediate effect and until further notice. In this context tourists can obtain visas through Sri Lanka diplomatic missions or on arrival at the port of entry and the visa fee will remain the same.”
However this information is inaccurate as according to our information only business visas (again there is confusion) and free visas must be obtained from Sri Lankan embassies. The Sri Lanka mission in the US stated, in its website: Tourists can obtain visas on arrival at the port of entry in Sri Lanka while gratis and transit visas can be obtained through Sri Lankan missions/posts abroad (again unclear about business visas).
The crisis has triggered worries from the tourism industry (and the chaos that would prevail if there is an entirely new president) that tourist numbers would fall this year to lower than expected arrivals.
Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the counsel appearing for the government to prepare charges of contempt of court against the Immigration Controller for his failure to implement a court decision to suspend the new visa scheme and reactivate the old online visa system earlier operated by SLT-Mobitel.
This came after the tourism industry complained to court that the VFS-facilitated new online visa process was too costly and its process complicated. At the last hearing, the Controller was ordered to appear in person and when he failed to do so (being abroad), the court issued an order that he should be charged for contempt of court.
Here is a sample of the queries by tourists on social media as compiled by Ruwanputha, some of which say it’s easy to get a visa on arrival:
- Author unknown: Hi, does anyone know the process on how to apply for a visit visa for Sri Lanka? I tried calling some numbers on an official website but there was no answer. Please advise on how to apply for a visit visa.
- Annie Fuller: What a mess! I am arriving Sunday and hope to stay a longer term like I always have but if it’s too hard to get an extension. I will go to Thailand or somewhere else.
- Hi! I’m from the Philippines and I am checking the e-visa for me to apply; apparently it is not working. Anyone here who has experienced the same? Or is a visa on arrival applicable to us?
- From Pakistan: Heyy Ali: Has anyone from Pakistan travelled to Sri Lanka recently?
- I am travelling to Sri Lanka from Australia this September. It says I require a visa, however I have not been able to sort a visa online (it won’t work). Is it true that I can arrange this upon arrival at the airport?
- Joanne Hoogerbrugge: Just arrived and it’s visa on arrival, $50 and was easy to get. Just present your passport.
- Darren West: We arrived last week in Colombo and the visa was done at the airport; it takes just five minutes.
- I’m from Argentina, I learnt that the visa can be withdrawn upon arrival but it’s more expensive and takes time.
- Hello my mom and I are from Pakistan and we are planning on coming to Sri Lanka, even booked our tickets and itinerary. However our visa is the issue and we have no idea how to get our visa as all websites are down and there is no e-visa anymore.
- Hello everyone! From Pakistan: Does anyone have an idea on how to get a visa? I spoke to the embassy here in Pakistan and they said talk to any agent or person in Sri Lanka.
- Hello! Can someone please confirm that Philippine passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival?
- From Croatia: My seven friends and I would like to visit
Sri Lanka as tourists but we saw on the official Croatian government pages that Sri Lanka has shut down their e-visa portal and there’s also the information that Sri Lanka is cancelling issuing visas upon arrival.
- Dani Davidson: The UK government website seems to say the visa website is down so do we just get visa upon arrival in Sri Lanka?
- Can anyone give me a definitive answer on whether a 30 day tourist visa can be extended to 90 days by visiting the Embassy in Colombo?
As stated earlier these are just a sample of inquiries and possibly from FITs (Free independent travellers) while visitors coming on package tours arranged by a travel agent would be adequately informed by tour operators on the visa process.
There is a lot that needs to be done to rectify the flaws – particularly informing outsiders that a visa on arrival is available at the airport at $50 per passenger (barring the seven countries that are entitled to free visas). In the midst of this hullabaloo, was the announcement by the government that nationals of 38 countries would be entitled to free visas with immediate effect.
Well as I was winding up the column, there was nary a sound from the margosa tree conversation where the trio had gathered. Most probably they were kicking their heels in disappointment as the candidate they had backed may lose the battle.
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