Rwanda has declared that it would permit visa-free travel for Africans visiting the country.
This move aligns Rwanda with other African nations that have implemented similar measures to promote unrestricted movement of people and enhance trade, akin to Europe’s Schengen zone.
President Paul Kagame announced this development in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Thursday, emphasizing the potential of Africa as a unified tourism destination.
He highlighted that Africa still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside the continent, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Kagame, speaking during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, emphasized that any African can now travel to Rwanda without incurring visa fees.
“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,” 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.”
Notably, this announcement came shortly after Kenyan President William Ruto revealed a similar plan to waive visa requirements for Africans visiting Kenya by the end of the year.
Over the past decade, the African Union (AU) has consistently called for the elimination of both physical and invisible barriers hindering African integration.
As of 2022, only Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin had extended visa-free entry to all African citizens, according to an AU report.