BY Sarmind SafiOct 30, 2023

Sri Lanka Cabinet has approved the issuing of free visas to India, Russia, China, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia. It will come into immediate effect as a pilot project till the 31st of March. Ali Sabry, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has tweeted. The minister has stated that the pilot project that is to commence immediately will be extended until March 31, 2024. Sabry posted, “Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March.” Earlier in March, Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry said that Sri Lanka’s relationship with India is ‘one of the most important in our foreign policy.’ Visitors from the mentioned countries can now obtain visas from Sri Lanka without charges. This is a significant change, given that India has been Sri Lanka’s primary source of inbound tourism. Reports by PTI say, according to the statistics for September, India has led north of 30,000 arrivals which comprise 26% of the total. Chinese tourists follow closely as the second-largest group with over 8,000 arrivals. The island country has seen a fall in tourist arrivals since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. It resulted in the tragic loss of 270 lives. It included 11 Indians and over 500 civilians injured. Sri Lanka has been fighting a severe economic crisis since its British independence in 1948. Currently, the country is facing political unrest that is marked by protests and calls for President Rajapaksa’s resignation. The economic crisis has created shortages of basic necessities like food, medicine, cooking gas, and fuel. Even toilet paper and matches are nearly unavailable. Sri Lankans have been enduring the long lines outside stores for their basic needs for months now. They have to wait to buy fuel as well as cooking gas due to the shortages. The Ministry of Tourism has recently revealed that during the preceding Cabinet meeting, a Cabinet Paper was introduced. It suggests the provision of complimentary tourist visas to foreign travelers from five countries planning to visit Sri Lanka for tourism. Read Also: Glasgow City Council Moved To Offer More Bus Stops For Tourists Malaysia Adventure: Planning An Active And Thrilling Getaway THIS Is When You Should Visit Maldives!

BY Sarmind SafiDec 21, 2023

Christmas is all about presents, twinkling lights, delicious food and merry making. Anyone can name at least a dozen reasons why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. But despite all the frivolity and festivity there are still certain things that you will have to do no matter what. Such as taking out the trash. Or maybe you would have to recycle your Christmas tree. Or you want to know if the trams are running. Christmas and New Year in Nottingham may be just as fun as anywhere but the chores do not end because its the holidays. As Christmas is on Monday it is bound to affect the bin collections in the city. All the refuse collection that will be due to take place on Monday will occur two days earlier on Saturday, December 23. From Tuesday, December 26 the bins will be emptied a day late straight up to January 5. On Sunday, December 31 and Monday, Januray 1 there will be no collections. For Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year bank holidays, an alternate timetable will be in place. Except for Christmas trams will be running every day for the festive period. NET will be running a Sunday service on the 3 holidays. Nottingham tram timetable for Christmas and New Year: Christmas Eve - Sunday service Christmas Day - No service Boxing Day - Sunday service December 27 to December 30 - Normal service New Year’s Eve - Sunday service New Year’s Day - Sunday service January 2 - Normal service Read Also: Unveiling The Best Christmas Destinations From Around The World Celebrations Have Begun At Oaga, Art Resort, Maldives: Report Traveling Christmas Tree For The Western Lawn Of U.S. Capitol

BY Sarmind SafiOct 31, 2023

When you are looking for places to visit, there are uncountable places that can be considered. But when you narrow your scope down to a slow-paced locality that has all the natural charms to get you feeling rejuvenated, the places become a lot less blingy and more earthy. The United Nations World Tourism Organization enlists all the names in world tourism. The organization has, in the past three years, recognized villages around the globe that "are leading the way in nurturing rural areas and preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values and culinary traditions." Here are some of them: Hakuba, Japan Hakuba may be famous for its winters, but it's worth a visit year-round. In the summer, he loves hiking up the mountains to lodges. In the autumn, it is popular with visitors who want to see the autumn foliage. And Hakuba's onsens – hot springs – are popular no matter the season. Lerici, Italy Unlike many other coastal Italian enclaves, Lerici has also kept up its traditional fishing industry. Among various sustainability initiatives, the town runs a pilot project called Smart Bay, which includes scientific research and monitoring of the bay and its ecosystems. It also introduced solar panels, banned single-use plastics, and prohibited cigarette smoking in coastal areas. Lephis, Ethiopia For natural beauty and wildlife, it's hard to beat the village of Lephis, located in Lephis Forest, around 160km south of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Travelers can trek or horseback ride past the striking Lephis Waterfall and through hills and valleys, catching glimpses of animals, including colobus monkeys, leopards, and mountain nyala. Birdwatchers are in for a particular treat, with species including the Abyssian oriole and white-cheeked turaco. Some of the other villages are Douma, Lebanon, and Zapatoca, Colombia. Read Also: 10 Best Restaurants In The US Glasgow City Council Moved To Offer More Bus Stops For Tourists Sri Lanka Has Approved Visa-Free Entry For Visitors From Six Countries Including India