Africa Rwanda Paves the Way for Visa-Free Travel by Africans

Image Credit: Veni Markovski

Rwanda has taken a significant step towards enhancing intra-African travel by announcing visa-free access for all Africans, joining a small but growing number of countries facilitating free movement on the continent. During the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, President Paul Kagame unveiled the new policy. The move aligns with the goal of boosting trade and free movement of people, much like the Schengen zone in Europe. Rwanda's President emphasized the importance of seeing Africa as "a unified tourism destination" and highlighted the continent's potential, as it still relies on non-African tourists for 60% of its total visitors, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Rwanda will join the ranks of other African nations like Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles, which have already removed visa requirements for African travelers. Kenya's President William Ruto also announced plans to allow visa-free access to all Africans visiting his country by December 31.