The Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka has urged Russians who permanently reside in the country to consider returning to Russia because of an observed rise in incidents involving Russian nationals. This guidance comes amid ongoing concerns about safety and the need to protect citizens abroad.
The embassy stated that Russians living long term in Sri Lanka should think about returning home. The move follows a recent incident in which three Russian women were allegedly harassed by a hotel employee, prompting diplomatic involvement.
In February, three Russian women arrived on the island through a tour operator and stayed for a week at a two-star hotel in the town of Habaraduwa. On the night of February 8, an incident occurred when a hotel worker allegedly touched a guest in an inappropriate manner in the guest room. The source claimed the Russians decided not to involve the police at that time to avoid disrupting their vacation.
About a week later, on February 14, the same worker reportedly entered the guests’ room, exposed himself, and attempted sexual contact. The guests woke to the situation, and a confrontation ensued between hotel staff and the guests, including the Russian partner of one of the visitors who was also in the country on a permanent resident visa. The LGBT channel Shot Telegram reported that the victims contacted local police, but officers reportedly declined to take a statement at first. Ultimately, intervention by the Russian consul helped address the matter.
The embassy stressed that this was not the first complaint regarding the hotel in question. Russian diplomats subsequently notified the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the episode, with comments from Russian embassy press secretary German Fedorov. He noted that while police opened an investigation, the consul’s involvement was essential, and the guests departed for Russia without filing a formal police statement. Nevertheless, the embassy deemed it important to raise the issue with Sri Lankan authorities.
Despite these warnings, tourists continued their plans to travel in Sri Lanka and to nearby Abkhazia, with some trips proceeding the day before the warning. The executive director of the Russian Tour Operators Association (ATOR), Maya Lomidze, stated that there were no cancellations reported in the days surrounding the incident. He suggested that travelers may not yet have fully absorbed the media reports.
A broader view of travel interest shows continued Russian activity in Sri Lanka. A study noted rising interest in February, with more searches for vacations in Sri Lanka on Google compared with earlier periods. The travel sector in Sri Lanka has faced a challenging period since 2019, with terrorist attacks, the pandemic, and political and economic upheavals. Still, 2023 saw more than one million international visitors for the first time in several years. From October 2022 to July 2023, passenger traffic from Russia to Sri Lanka exceeded 100,000 travelers.
Since November of the previous year, Russian visa policies for Sri Lanka were adjusted to ease tourism access. Visas for tourism can be obtained for up to 30 days, with some changes previously ranging in cost, while the formal visa fee structure has varied in the past. The evolving visa policy reflects an ongoing effort to support tourism in Sri Lanka while ensuring appropriate safeguards for visitors from Russia and other countries.