President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has declared that the country will allow visa-free travel for Africans.
In a significant move toward greater African integration, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has declared that the country will allow visa-free travel for Africans.
This decision aligns Rwanda with other African nations that are working toward fostering greater mobility and trade across the continent, akin to Europe’s Schengen zone.
President Kagame made the announcement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as “a unified tourism destination” for a continent that still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside Africa, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Kagame during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council said: “Any African, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country.
“We should not lose sight of our own continental market.
“Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come”.
Once implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin and Seychelles.
Similarly, in a recent development, Kenya’s President, William Ruto has revealed plans to allow visa-free travel to Kenya for all Africans by December 31.
“Visa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us. When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel we all become net losers”, Ruto said at an international summit in Congo, Brazzaville.
The African Union in 2016 launched an African passport with much fanfare, saying it would rival the European Union model in “unleashing the potential of the continent”, However, only diplomats and AU officials have been issued the travel document so far.
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