Australia lowers travel advisory for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Tourism entered another positive turning point in the tourism industry with the Australian government lowering its degree of travel advisory on Sri Lanka recently, up to level 1, which is the highest level in the Australian Travel Advisories.
Thus, Sri Lanka has achieved a notable hallmark in the tourism sector, proving that it is a safe destination to travel and have an interesting experience. The travel advisory is periodically updated by the Foreign Affairs and Trade Department in consultation with the Australian High Commission in Colombo, diplomatic missions of likeminded countries and the relevant Australian agencies.
With this step taken, more Australians will be encouraged to visit Sri Lanka, as a tropical country filled with natural resources, cultural heritage and plenty of historical sites. The Australian travel advisory uses four levels of travel advice. Level 4 is considered as the lowest level in the advisory. It is indicated as ‘Do not travel’. The Australian travel advisory gives information and safety precautions on several fields. They are: entry and exit, safety and security, local travel, laws, health and additional information. Australians take around 10 million trips overseas each year and many live abroad as well.
The ongoing peace and reconciliation process in Sri Lanka has assured a safe environment for travellers, foreigners as well as the local citizens. According to the travel advisory, airlines have advised international passengers departing Bandaranaike International Airport to arrive five hours prior to their scheduled departure time to avoid queues and possible delays due to the construction work to take place from January to April 2017, which is carried out for the betterment of both the local and international passengers and increase facilities.
In this context, Sri Lanka is all set to provide the best of hospitality and guarantee better and a safer environment to all travellers to have an unforgettable experience to their hearts’ content by exploring this wonderful paradise island.
Sri Lanka Tourism, as one of the major hubs that promotes and contributes immensely to develop the country’s tourism sector considers this as a great opportunity the country has achieved in the tourism industry. Up to December 2016, 74,496 tourist arrivals from Australia were reported, which is a 17.2 increase year-on-year.