Colombo, April 17, 2025 — With the Maldives officially barring entry to travelers holding Israeli passports, questions are now mounting over whether nearby Sri Lanka could emerge as an alternative destination for Israeli tourists seeking tropical escapes in the Indian Ocean.
The decision by Maldivian authorities came into effect this week after President Mohamed Muizzu ratified a parliamentary amendment to the country’s immigration law. The new regulation prohibits entry to individuals using Israeli passports, in what the government described as a political response to “the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people” amid the war in Gaza.
While the Maldives clarified that Israeli nationals holding a second passport may still be allowed in, the symbolic and legal weight of the decision sends a strong signal: Israeli tourists are no longer welcome.
The development could potentially redirect a small but consistent stream of Israeli travelers toward Sri Lanka, a country that offers similar weather, beaches, and adventure tourism, but without the diplomatic restrictions.
In February 2025 alone, 59 Israeli passport holders visited the Maldives, according to official statistics. With the ban now in place, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry already on a steady post-pandemic rebound, may see an unexpected opportunity to tap into this redirected market.
Tourism experts note that Sri Lanka’s longstanding policy of welcoming all nationalities, coupled with its robust hospitality infrastructure, could make it an attractive fallback. “Sri Lanka has a history of being a neutral and open destination. If promoted strategically, the country could easily position itself as the next best option for Israeli travelers who were planning to visit the Maldives,” said one Colombo-based travel consultant.
It remains to be seen whether the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau will move quickly to engage this niche opportunity. But with the Maldives’ latest move drawing global attention, and regional competition heating up, Sri Lanka may find itself with a unique opening — if it chooses to seize it.
So, the question remains: Will Israeli tourists look east to Sri Lanka now that the Maldives has shut its doors?
