Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, has announced the country’s decision to grant visa-free travel to Africans.
According to Kagame, the move is
aimed at promoting the free movement of people and trade.
He further explained that the move positions Rwanda alongside other African nations striving for a more integrated continent, akin to Europe’s Schengen zone.
The Schengen zone, comprising 27 European countries, has effectively abolished the need for passports and border controls at their shared borders.
Local reports indicate that Kagame unveiled this plan during a speech in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, emphasizing the vast potential of Africa as a unified tourism destination.
Currently, the continent heavily relies on tourists from outside Africa, constituting 60% of its total visitors, as per data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
“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.
“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,” he said.
Rwanda is on track to join the growing list of African nations that are removing travel restrictions for their fellow Africans, following the example of Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles.
In a parallel development, President William Ruto of Kenya has announced intentions to enable visa-free travel to Kenya for all Africans by December 31.
