Rwanda has announced that it will allow visa-free travel for Africans visiting the country, joining a growing number of nations on the continent that are promoting free movement and trade.
President Paul Kagame made the announcement on Thursday in Kigali during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, highlighting the potential of Africa as a unified tourism destination.
Kagame stated, “Any African can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country.” He emphasized the importance of the continental market and the role of Africans in shaping the future of global tourism, as Africa’s middle class continues to grow.
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“We should not lose sight of our own continental market,” he added. “Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come.”
Integration has been key in various discussions about economic development in Africa. In March 2018, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was brokered by the African Union (AU). The aim was to create a single unified market for the continent that would boost intra-African trade and economic development – mimicking Europe’s Schengen zone.
The AfCFTA was expected to kick off integration for Africa’s 1.3 billion people, spurring an estimated $3.4 trillion market.
However, the initiative is yet to be fully implemented by all involved African States, making integration within the continent difficult. Other efforts by the AU and regional blocs have also failed to bridge the integration gap.
For instance, the African passport launched by the AU in 2016, with the aim of facilitating free movement, work, and living for Africans across the continent, has been limited to only diplomats and AU officials. It has not been widely available to the general public.
Against this backdrop, movement across the continent has been significantly restricted, impacting its economic development. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy has free visa access to only 17 out of 54 African Nations, according to Passport Index 2023.
Africa still depends on 60% of its tourists from outside the continent, as indicated by data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. However, a few African countries that see the situation as a barrier to their aim to boost their economy through tourism have set out on their own to bridge the gap.
“Visa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us. When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel we all become net losers” said Kenyan President William Ruto at an international summit in Congo Brazzaville.
By this move, Rwanda will join Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles, who have waived visa applications and eliminated other travel restrictions for Africans. Also, Ruto recently announced plans to permit visa-free travel to Kenya for all Africans by December 31.
Nonetheless, it remains uncertain if more African countries are inclined to endorse unrestricted movement across the continent, particularly since the present momentum is primarily fueled by efforts to boost tourism.