By: Seringe ST Touray
Rwanda has joined the trend of African nations promoting visa-free travel within the continent to enhance free movement and trade, similar to Europe’s Schengen zone.
President Paul Kagame announced the move in Kigali, emphasizing Africa as a unified tourism destination. The initiative aims to tap into the continent’s growing middle class for global tourism.
“Any African, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country” said Kagame during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Rwanda becomes the fourth African country, after Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles, to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Kenyan President William Ruto also plans visa-free travel for all Africans to Kenya by December 31.
“We should not lose sight of our own continental market,” he said. “Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come.”
Despite the 2016 launch of the African passport by the African Union (AU), only diplomats and AU officials have received it, hindering the broader goal of facilitating free movement and boosting economic development through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area.
