The Sri Lanka surf season is just a few weeks away, but with the international airport currently closed what to do? Here are answers to questions that we’ve been getting asked quite a bit recently regarding our upcoming season:
Are there any travel restrictions in place?
Entry to Sri Lanka is currently prohibited for all non-nationals. However, we expect the airport to open to tourists from mid-September. We will send out a newsletter and update this blog as soon as we get official giverment advice.
Will I need a visa upon arrival?
All travelers to Sri Lanka must have a visa, known as Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for entering the country.
If so, how do I get one?
Please visit http://www.eta.gov.lk for more information.
Will I have to be quarantined when I am in the country?
When the government opens the country to tourists, there won’t be any quarantine procedure as a PCP test will be done for all travelers when landing into the airport.
If there is a 2nd wave of lockdown whilst I am out there what will happen?
In the unlikely event of a lockdown, our surfing operation will be cancelled and we will help you arrange bringing your return travel forward and can organise for you to be transferred to the airport in safety.
What happens if I cannot travel as a result of covid?
If your trip needs to be cancelled as a result of foreign office travel restrictions, or local government policy, we will offer to reschedule your booking, offer you a travel credit with TTR. If neither of the above are suitable we will offer you a refund. We will not provide refunds if people feel “disinclined” to travel, despite no change in government policy.
What happens if my country makes me go into quarantine on my return?
It should be expected that as a worst case scenario your local country may enforce you to go into quarantine on your return. We encourage all of our travellers to anticipate this worst case scenario. In the instance of enforced quarantine for return (where foreign office travel advise has not changed) we will offer a re-schedule, or travel credit, but not a refund.
What TTR options are there for me to book?
You can book flexible packages at the Surf House here: https://www.tickettoridegroup.com/surf-house-sri-lanka/, or book onto one of our organised trips here: https://www.tickettoridegroup.com/surf-resorts/Sri-Lanka
How will the TTR operations be affected?
We will be adhering to the government enforced policy for hoteliers and will be implementing comprehensive protocols to ensure the wellbeing of our guests and staff that are aligned to the strictest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Surf wise, the waves won’t be changing and you can expect to be surfing with a lot less people in the water!
General Advice
We are closely following ABTA and Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) to keep informed of the situation, and will provide updates if there are any changes. We encourage all guests to ensure that they have a travel insurance policy, and to check the status of their cover in the event of trip cancellation.
Sri Lanka – FCO Advise
Anyone traveling from the UK, should take note of any official advice here:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka
Essentially Sri Lanka has handled this pandemic very well and has been applauded by many much larger “developed” countries. Whilst no official announcement has been made yet regarding re-opening the airport to tourists, Sri Lankan Airlines, which is owned by the Sri Lankan Government released a newsletter at the start of last week announcing deals on flights from LHR to Colombo landing from September 1st and the World Travel and Tourism Council has given Sri Lanka a ‘safe travel stamp’ (https://island.lk/sri-lanka-receives-safe-travels-stamp-from-world-travel-tourism-council/)
As soon as we receive confirmation of the country reopening we will send out a newsletter with all factual details, so make sure you’re subscribed and keep an eye on your inbox over the next couple of weeks 🙂
If you want to book one of the last spots on any of our tours, please go ahead knowing that the £95 deposit is transferable to a trip at a later date if we are unable to operate.
Any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.
Cheers and hope to share some tropical waves with you in the near future…
Max