The governments of African countries have been urged to ease visa application procedures in an effort to improve tourism and, thus, the economy of the continent.
In a report, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has advised governments to undertake such measures, claiming that the travel and tourism sector could add US$168 billion to the continent’s economy and create over 18 million new jobs.
The report named “Unlocking Opportunities for Travel and Tourism Growth in Africa” was presented during the Global Summit held in Kigali, which was jointly held by the WTTC and VFS Global, VisaGuide.World reports.
It contains suggestions aiming to improve Africa’s growth in terms of air infrastructure, visa facilitation and tourism marketing.
“Africa needs simplified visa processes, better air connectivity within the continent, and marketing campaigns to highlight the wealth of destinations in this breathtaking continent”, said Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, throughout the summit.
While the founder and CEO of VFS Global, Zubin Karkaria, mentioned that they remain deeply committed to fostering the growth of travel and tourism to and from Africa. VFS Global has been present in Africa since 2005 and now provides services across 55 cities in 35 countries of the continent.
“This report not only highlights the diverse prospects for economic growth, sustainable tourism, and cross-cultural collaboration but also provides valuable insights for governments to formulate policies and offers businesses a well-defined roadmap for expansion in this thriving market,” said Karkaria.
Recently, Rwanda has launched a visa-free entry for the entire continent, thus allowing all African citizens to enter the country without the need to obtain a visa first. Rwanda is now the fourth African country to offer visa-free entry for all Africans, after Benin, The Gambia and Seychelles.
Previously, in January 2020, Rwanda removed visa fees for about 90 countries worldwide, aiming to attract more tourists and boost its economy through the tourism sector.
Whereas, last month, Kenyan President William Ruto announced plans to eliminate visa restrictions for African tourists and travelers, by the end of this year.
“Our children from this continent should not be locked in borders in Europe and also be locked in borders in Africa,” Ruto said.
Different countries in Africa may have different visa policies. For example, to enter South Africa as a tourist and stay for a short period, applicants should apply first for an e-visa. Until now, this type of visa was launched for 14 different nationalities to apply online only, and once it’s approved, it will be sent to the applicant’s email.
In addition, there are 104 countries whose citizens can enter South Africa without needing a visa, only with an ordinary passport. Yet, South Africa’s passport is ranked 97th based on the VisaGuide Passport Index. This means that its citizens can travel visa-free only to 72 countries.
On the other hand, Rwanda’s passport is ranked 152nd, and its citizens can enjoy travel with an ordinary passport to only 31 countries.
In general, the passports of African countries have the lowest rank according to this Passport Index. The last one on this list is Somalia, ranked 199th, and its citizens can travel visa-free to only ten countries.
