Tourists visit Gangaramaya Buddhist temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka April 25,2024. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte Courtesy:
6 June 2024

Sri Lanka confronts illegal tourist ventures

Asian nations like Sri Lanka have seen a rush of Russian and Ukrainian tourists over the last two years. They discover salubrious climes and overstay their visas to start small businesses. It has helped Sri Lanka boost tourism after its 2022 debt default but also created economic problems for locals. It is necessary to identify trade-offs between economic benefits and security threats associated with extended-stay tourism.