Rwanda to Allow Visa-Free Travel for Africans, Promoting Continental Unity and Tourism
In a significant move aimed at fostering the free movement of people and boosting trade across Africa, Rwanda announced on Thursday that it will allow all Africans to travel to the country without requiring a visa.
President Paul Kagame made the announcement during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council held in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
This decision positions Rwanda as the latest nation on the African continent to implement visa-free travel for Africans, a measure akin to Europe’s Schengen zone.
President Kagame underscored the potential of Africa as a unified tourism destination, emphasizing the need to reduce the continent’s reliance on tourists from outside Africa, which currently stands at 60%, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
“A unified tourism destination for Africa is the vision we should work towards,” stated President Kagame. He emphasized that any African wishing to visit Rwanda will be able to do so without incurring any visa-related costs.
This move aligns with Rwanda’s efforts to promote continental unity and encourage tourism across Africa.
President Kagame further highlighted the growing middle class in Africa, emphasizing that Africans are the future of global tourism.
He noted that enabling free movement within Africa will be beneficial for business and entrepreneurship.
Once this policy is fully implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans, following the footsteps of Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles.
In a similar vein, Kenya’s President William Ruto recently announced plans to allow visa-free travel for all Africans to Kenya by December 31. Ruto emphasized that visa restrictions within Africa hinder business and entrepreneurship.
The African Union (AU) had previously launched an African passport in 2016 with the goal of enhancing continental integration. However, thus far, the travel document has only been issued to diplomats and AU officials.
The African Passport and the free movement of people aim to remove restrictions on Africans’ ability to travel, work, and live within their own continent, as stated on the AU’s website.
Additionally, the AU has initiated the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a continent-wide free trade area estimated to be worth $3.4 trillion.
The AfCFTA’s objective is to establish a single unified market for Africa’s 1.3 billion people and to stimulate economic development across the continent.
Rwanda’s decision to allow visa-free travel for Africans aligns with broader efforts within the African continent to promote integration, free movement, and economic development, with the goal of unleashing the full potential of the continent.
This story has been adopted from the AfricaNews.
