While few details have been revealed as to what measures hotels must take to make the grade, the licensed options will be listed on the official Sri Lanka tourism website in due course. The train journey from Kandy to Ella is popular with touristsĪnother caveat is that guests must stay in Government-approved accommodation. The journey, which winds though tea plantations, has become one of the island’s key tourist attractions in the past few years, clogging up Instagram feeds around the world. Tourists will also be banned from using public transport, which will prove quite the sting for those keen to snap a picture on the famous, scenic train ride from Kandy to Ella. First, the usual visa fee of $40 (£31) has been raised to $100 (£78), perhaps to cover the cost of all those tests. The repeated testing is not the only measure that Sri Lanka is introducing for visitors.

When announcing the new rules, the tourism ministry said: 'While this may be inconvenient, it is essential to safeguard everybody and provide peace of mind.' If symptoms are detected at any point, a quarantine of between 14 and 21 days in a designated hotel will be required. Those staying longer than 10 days will be subjected to yet another test. A further test will be done four or five days later, with a mobile testing unit coming to guests’ hotels. Travellers will then be required to take a free coronavirus test upon arrival at the airport, the results of which should be available within four to six hours. The country’s tourism ministry has stated that all visitors must carry a certificate declaring themselves free of the virus, issued no earlier than 72 hours before boarding a flight to the island. Sri Lanka has announced that it will welcome holidaymakers from all countries from August 1, but only if they meet strict requirements and undergo rigorous testing for Covid-19.

Sri lanka travel restrictions