Colombo, Aug 26 (IANS): The Sri Lankan government has decided to issue six-month visas for tourists applying through the electronic system, local media reported.

Officials said the move is a follow-up to a cabinet decision taken on January 4 to link a mobile app created by Sri Lanka Tourism to the visa application process implemented under the country's Department of Immigration and Emigration through its Online Electronic Tourist Visa Activation (ETA) system, reports Xinhua news agency citing the local media as saying on Wednesday.

The applicable visa charges for a six-month stay are $70 for tourists from SAARC countries, $85 for those from non-SAARC countries, and $50 for tourists from Singapore, the Maldives and Seychelles (as per the bilateral agreements signed with those countries).

At present, short-term tourist visa for 90 days costs $20 for those from SAARC countries and $35 for nationals from other countries.

Sri Lanka's tourism sector has been one of the worst affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic and tourists are presently allowed to tour the country under a bio bubble.

Over 4 million people depend on the local tourism industry directly and indirectly, the government said.