“Sri Lanka is yet another example of administrative complexity”: Sébastien Couix, Visamundi

For several years, the travel world has been undergoing a digital revolution: the widespread use of e-visas, the proliferation of paperless procedures, and the acceleration of regulatory changes. While these advances often automate and streamline formalities, they also raise new challenges for businesses and their travelers: “It’s not so much digitalization itself that poses a problem, but the fact that rules sometimes change overnight, even within the same country. It’s exhausting for all the travelers” says Sébastien Couix, CEO of Visamundi, a visa agency based in Nantes, France.

The Swirl of Administrative Requirements in Sri Lanka

Sébastien Couix, CEO VisamundiSri Lanka offers a striking example of this instability: in the space of barely 18 months, entry requirements have been constantly modified. After a grace period, online ETA applications before departure became mandatory again on October 15, 2025, for all foreigners, even those who had benefited from a temporary exemption a few weeks earlier. “Our teams were already monitoring regulatory developments, but we had to react within a few days to the announcement of the ETA’s return, recontact all affected travelers, explain the change, and adjust our tools” says Sébastien Couix.

Many companies had indeed anticipated their trips to Sri Lanka with updated visa exemption processes: “We thought we had stabilized communication with our clients, but in reality, we had to urgently mobilize our experts to integrate this rollback“, he says.

Thailand: An example of complexity that puts travelers off

Thailand is also experiencing a very similar situation, where the proliferation of online formalities has created a deterrent effect. Since the pandemic, the country has significantly tightened and complicated its requirements: the mandatory implementation of the “Thailand Digital Arrival Card” the multiple health declaration steps, and the increase in biometric checks have created an administrative overload for business travelers. “Thailand has become a textbook case of what I call ‘excessive digital formalities.’ Many travelers now prefer to divert their itineraries to less time-consuming destinations, lacking the time and resources to manage all these procedures“, explains Sébastien Couix. This increased complexity undermines the positioning of a previously popular destination and directly impacts business tourism and trade there.

Even specialized agencies are struggling to keep up

“What’s striking is that even professional travel agencies, despite their experience, are finding it increasingly difficult to stay up to date with this incessant flow of regulatory changes” emphasizes Sébastien Couix. “This generates a considerable volume of questions from our clients, and a real headache for these agencies, which must continuously train their teams. Hence the need for powerful, automated tools capable of centralizing and disseminating information in real time. This is precisely what we have developed at Visamundi: digital solutions that allow us to anticipate developments, inform travelers as quickly as possible, and secure administrative procedures for everyone“.

The illusion of digital simplification

The return and proliferation of ETAs, supposed to simplify controls and strengthen security, have often generated the opposite effect for many business travelers. It is no longer possible to correct the situation at the airport: everything must be anticipated in advance, otherwise boarding will be completely blocked. “What we are seeing is that automation does not reduce the volume of questions or incidents; quite the contrary. The more procedures are dematerialized, the faster they change, and the more essential human support becomes“, explains Mr. Couix.

This situation is unfortunately not unique: many countries are alternating between opening up, new restrictions, and technical modifications to their platforms. “The prevailing model in most administrations is that of digital test-and-learn, with often rushed announcements. For an international mobility player, this requires an ultra-agile organization and constant regulatory monitoring” he emphasizes.

For companies, increased risk-taking

For companies required to manage international travel, the increasing number of regulatory changes and the widespread adoption of online processes require flexibility, training, and customized tools.

“For some of our major clients, an ill-prepared trip to Sri Lanka or Thailand can represent a net loss: denied boarding, cancellation, or impact on business. Today, it’s no longer enough to simply complete the procedure; you also need to understand, anticipate, and document each legal change. We have become as much regulatory experts as we are digital journey facilitators” says Sébastien Couix.

Faced with this frenetic pace, the mission of business travel specialists is now akin to that of digital compliance conductors: “Our job is to manage uncertainty. It’s not uncommon for a rule to change in the morning, and by noon, we’ve already alerted our clients, modified procedures, and initiated the necessary communications“.

For Sébastien Couix, the message is clear: “The avalanche of regulatory changes around the world makes enhanced human expertise more necessary than ever, capable of ensuring each company stays a step ahead of administrative complexity“.