Monday, November 27, 2023
Allowing visa-free travel, reducing airfares and improving connectivity could unlock the incredible potential of tourism in Africa.
It could help the industry become a key to economic growth and job creation in the continent.
The industry insiders and experts say this. This is in addition to improving infrastructure, dealing with security issues and upgrading public-private partnerships.
The need for visa-free travel for Africans entering countries on the continent was the subject of debate at the East African Regional Travel Expo. It took place in Nairobi recently.
Benin, Gambia, Rwanda and the Seychelles are the only countries in the continent allowing visa-free access for all Africans. Some other countries are working on following suit.
In East Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda allow cross-border travel without passports.
In southern Africa, Botswana and Namibia have a similar arrangement.
Experts say visa-free travel for all Africans across the continent would give a great fillip to tourism. It will also to the African Continental Free Trade Area.
A report published this month by the World Travel and Tourism Council.
It said travel and tourism could add $168 billion to the continent’s economy. It will also create more than 18 million jobs over the next 10 years.
The target would be realized by improving air transport infrastructure, facilitating visa issuance and strengthening tourism marketing, the report said.
Not needing visas would obviate the need for travellers to go through complicated application procedures.
Joseph Kaluli, a tour consultant with a private tour company in Nairobi, said this. And, that can sometimes take as long as three months.
Not needing visas would also cut travel costs and enable many people to travel either as a family or as a group, he said.
Scrapping visa requirements would be a big plus for tour operators in the continent. Ivy Wanjiku of a tour and travel company in Nairobi, said this.
It would help improve border policies that mean Kenyan tour operators cannot take their clients directly to Tanzania, she said.
George Mwagane, a tourism officer with the Tanzania Tourist Board, said visa-free entry or making applying for visas easier would greatly boost the sector.
Many tourists complain that getting a visa is their biggest challenge.
However, he said that there was requirement of caution in adopting such a policy. It will be ensuring that a country can monitor all visitors.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
