Sri Lanka tourist attraction’s entry fees higher than region: Report

July 14, 2015 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist attractions entry fee charge between local and foreign visitors is higher when compared to other countries in the region, a recent report said.









“Along with regional countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and China, Sri Lanka too charges a two-tier price system whereby foreigners are charged a higher price,” Bartleet Religare Securities (BRS) in a report on the hotel industry said.

“However, the difference between local and foreign ratio is much higher in Sri Lanka.

” The report says for example a local would be charged 100 rupees per adult to enter the national zoological gardens whereas a foreigner would be charged 2500 rupees per adult. “Tourists belonging to the SAARC region are given a concessionary rate of 700 rupees per adult,” “All payments are made at point of entry and there are no facilities to pre-book these over the internet or to make payments via credit cards.” This makes visiting many of the country’s national parks, archeological and cultural sites pricier than in other regional destinations, the report further said.