<p>Sri Lanka plans to reopen its tourism industry on August 1 by allowing small groups of tourists to visit the island.</p>
<p>Speaking to Reuters, Kimali Fernando, chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said that visitors will be able to visit from August and “stay in approved five-star hotels that have put strict safety measures in place.”</p>
<p>Tourists will be required to carry a “COVID-19 free” certificate issued by their governments and will also need to wait on arrival at the airport for coronavirus testing.</p>
<p>If the proposals are approved by the Sri Lankan government, Bandaranaike International Airport and Matta International Airport will partially reopen with testing facilities.</p>
<p>The tourism sector contributes around 11% of the nation’s gross domestic product but has seen a decline in visitors since the Easter Sunday attacks.</p>
<p>See more from Reuters <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-sri-lanka-tourism/…">here</a>.</p>
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