COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal of offering visa-free entry for nationals from India and six other countries, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said.

The minister said that the cabinet approved visa-free entry for travellers from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand as a pilot project till March 31, 2024, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry aims to attract 2 million visitors in 2023, compared to the previous target of 1.5 million.

Tourism, as one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic and political crises in the South Asian country.