Traveling inside Africa, visa requirement still a problem
Africans traveling within the
continent are required to fill multiple cross-border documents with visa
issuance becoming a nuisance and hindrance to business development,
tourism, and investments between the African people.
Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian tycoon and
the richest man on this continent, is among key personalities facing
traveling hiccups when moving from one country to another in search of
investment opportunities.
In his recent discussions with Nigerian
media, Dangote has advised African leaders to give incentives to
investors and make intra-Africa travel easy. He told the Nigeria media
outlets that despite the size of his group and investments on the
continent, he needs 38 visas to travel across Africa.
“You have to know somebody who is big in
that country to call somebody. They are giving you visas as if it is a
favor,” Dangote said.
“Somebody like me, despite the size of
our group, I need 38 visas to move around Africa. Yes, I have heard that
they are going to do the (African) passport, but you can see that there
is still a little bit of resistance from other African leaders,” he
noted.
Dangote uses many public platforms to
urge African leaders to make it easier for Africans to travel around
their own continent. He said he needed 38 visas to travel across Africa,
and it was not always straightforward to get them.
“You go to a country that is looking for
investment; that particular country will give you a runaround just to
get a visa,” he said.
During their fourth annual Africa Hotel
Expansion Summit and Hospitality Round Table in the Tanzanian commercial
city of Dar es Salaam last month, hotel and hospitality industry
executives noted that Africa needs to establish intra-Africa travel
packages to attract tourists within the continent.
“Africa needs to encourage intra-Africa
travel programs that would attract more people to travel from one
country to another country within the continent,” said Amaechi Ndili,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Lionstone Group and Golden
Tulip West Africa Hospitality Group in Nigeria.
“We need to stimulate intra-Africa
tourism and business travel while governments across the continent take
serious steps and policies to create more open skies for Africans,”
Ndili noted.
South Africans often complain about the
hoops they have to jump through to get visas for other African states,
but in fact, their country is part of the problem. According to the
African Development Bank, 75 percent of the most visa-friendly countries
in Africa are in East Africa.
In Southern Africa, the visa-friendly
nations are Mauritius, Madagascar, Zambia, and Mozambique. West Africa
fares better with six countries regarded as visa-friendly. Nigeria is
not among them.
Facing development set-backs, high unemployment rates, and poor security, Africa remains low in terms of global tourism index.
In the context of tourism competitiveness
in Africa, most countries in the continent are still lacking
competitive tools to support growth and competition in tourism at global
market levels, despite the continent’s rich and untapped natural
resources.
The hotel executives further noted that
more than 80 percent of Africans don’t know tourist attractive sites
available in their own countries compared to Europe, America, and other
continents where the citizens outnumber foreign tourists.
Nigeria is the leading country in Africa
to generate outbound tourists to other countries within the continent,
mostly to other West African states, as well as East and Southern
Africa.
Dangote’s comments were made at the right
time when tourism and travel executives are set to meet in Rwanda’s
capital city of Kigali next month to discuss the future of African
tourism and the way forward.
Bearing a theme of “Destination Africa:
The Future of African Tourism,” the the African Travel Association’s
41st congress will be held in Kigali from November 14 to 18, bringing
together delegates from Africa, the United States, Europe, and other
parts of the world.
To be taking place in East Africa for
three consecutive years, the ATA’s 41st Congress is set to focus the
East African region as the single tourist destination in Africa and best
for combined African safaris.
Rwanda has been honored to host the ATA 41st Congress this year as the first event organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and ATA.
If you wish to receive new articles related to
Traveling inside Africa, visa requirement still a problem
enter your email address in the field below and subscribe:
Africans traveling within the
continent are required to fill multiple cross-border documents with visa
issuance becoming a nuisance and hindrance to business development,
tourism, and investments between the African people.
Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian tycoon and
the richest man on this continent, is among key personalities facing
traveling hiccups when moving from one country to another in search of
investment opportunities.
In his recent discussions with Nigerian
media, Dangote has advised African leaders to give incentives to
investors and make intra-Africa travel easy. He told the Nigeria media
outlets that despite the size of his group and investments on the
continent, he needs 38 visas to travel across Africa.
“You have to know somebody who is big in
that country to call somebody. They are giving you visas as if it is a
favor,” Dangote said.
“Somebody like me, despite the size of
our group, I need 38 visas to move around Africa. Yes, I have heard that
they are going to do the (African) passport, but you can see that there
is still a little bit of resistance from other African leaders,” he
noted.
Dangote uses many public platforms to
urge African leaders to make it easier for Africans to travel around
their own continent. He said he needed 38 visas to travel across Africa,
and it was not always straightforward to get them.
“You go to a country that is looking for
investment; that particular country will give you a runaround just to
get a visa,” he said.
During their fourth annual Africa Hotel
Expansion Summit and Hospitality Round Table in the Tanzanian commercial
city of Dar es Salaam last month, hotel and hospitality industry
executives noted that Africa needs to establish intra-Africa travel
packages to attract tourists within the continent.
“Africa needs to encourage intra-Africa
travel programs that would attract more people to travel from one
country to another country within the continent,” said Amaechi Ndili,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Lionstone Group and Golden
Tulip West Africa Hospitality Group in Nigeria.
“We need to stimulate intra-Africa
tourism and business travel while governments across the continent take
serious steps and policies to create more open skies for Africans,”
Ndili noted.
South Africans often complain about the
hoops they have to jump through to get visas for other African states,
but in fact, their country is part of the problem. According to the
African Development Bank, 75 percent of the most visa-friendly countries
in Africa are in East Africa.
In Southern Africa, the visa-friendly
nations are Mauritius, Madagascar, Zambia, and Mozambique. West Africa
fares better with six countries regarded as visa-friendly. Nigeria is
not among them.
Facing development set-backs, high unemployment rates, and poor security, Africa remains low in terms of global tourism index.
In the context of tourism competitiveness
in Africa, most countries in the continent are still lacking
competitive tools to support growth and competition in tourism at global
market levels, despite the continent’s rich and untapped natural
resources.
The hotel executives further noted that
more than 80 percent of Africans don’t know tourist attractive sites
available in their own countries compared to Europe, America, and other
continents where the citizens outnumber foreign tourists.
Nigeria is the leading country in Africa
to generate outbound tourists to other countries within the continent,
mostly to other West African states, as well as East and Southern
Africa.
Dangote’s comments were made at the right
time when tourism and travel executives are set to meet in Rwanda’s
capital city of Kigali next month to discuss the future of African
tourism and the way forward.
Bearing a theme of “Destination Africa:
The Future of African Tourism,” the the African Travel Association’s
41st congress will be held in Kigali from November 14 to 18, bringing
together delegates from Africa, the United States, Europe, and other
parts of the world.
To be taking place in East Africa for
three consecutive years, the ATA’s 41st Congress is set to focus the
East African region as the single tourist destination in Africa and best
for combined African safaris.
Rwanda has been honored to host the ATA 41st Congress this year as the first event organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and ATA.
If you wish to receive new articles related to
Traveling inside Africa, visa requirement still a problem
enter your email address in the field below and subscribe:
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