In a letter to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, they urged him to intervene and restore a competitive and user-friendly visa process through a government-operated website, similar to the previous ETA system, to enable a tourist to obtain the necessary 30 days, single entry visa with ease.

They said the tourism industry, a key pillar of Sri Lanka's economic recovery, is aiming for 2.3 to 2.5 million tourist arrivals in 2024 and that these visa changes threaten this goal.

"The abrupt fee increase and complicated process are likely to deter tourists, potentially reducing arrivals to below 2 million. We cannot therefore help but wonder your excellency, whilst yourself together with the tourism authorities and industry led by the Minister, are working tirelessly to rebuild, that some elements, from within your government, are trying to disrupt the progress," the statement added.