Excise Department permits sale of liquor for foreign tourists

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Excise Department has given permission to sell liquor in selected tourist hotels and special licensed locations exclusively for foreign tourists.

Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Kapila Kumarasinghe stated that only special types of excise licenses issued to tourist hotels will be allowed to operate in accordance with the Biosafety Bubble Scheme.

Accordingly, the Excise Department has granted this permission to hotel categories 07, 08 and Boutique Villas in accordance with the Health Guidelines issued by the Director General of Health Services.

This scheme is especially applicable to first and second tier hotels which follow the biosecurity bubble scheme during the quarantine period.

Foreign tourists will be allowed to enter other tourist hotels after the quarantine period as well.