The government has taken steps to introduce a one-year long-term visa category for digital travelers.
The proposal made by Hon. Minister of Tourism to implement a Promotional Program by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to attract digital tourists, was approved by the Cabinet.
Introduction of a long-term visa category is done here to promote Sri Lanka as a digital-tourist-friendly destination.
Digital tourists are people who use digital technology for their livelihood and travel around the country as tourists.
Facilitating such tourists has been a growing trend in the tourism industry in recent times.
Digital travelers often stay in restaurants, public libraries, and other such venues or entertainment vehicles and provide their services online using devices with Internet access.
The availability of high-speed internet for communication, long-term visas, affordable accommodation and tax exemption for earnings are the main reasons for attracting such tourists.
Attracting digital tourists to Sri Lanka and providing them with the facilities they need to stay longer will enable the country to earn more foreign exchange.
In the face of the global Covid epidemic, the number of people working and earning money online is on the rise.
The reason for this is that with the current economic downturn, many of the world’s leading companies around the world have closed their offices, introducing home-based methods of working as far as possible.
In the face of this new trend, there has been a gradual increase in the number of tourists traveling around the world providing services and generating revenue through the internet.
They are categorized as digital tourists and have been targeted here.