Rwanda govt declares visa-free entry for Africans

Rwanda will now accept visa-free entry for all Africans.

At the 23rd global summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Rwandan President Paul Kagame made the announcement on Thursday in Kigali, the nation's capital, while promoting Rwanda as a travel destination.

“Let there be no mistake about it. Any African can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and will not pay a thing to enter our country,” Kagame said.

“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.

“We must work closely together with partners, like the WTTC, to continue developing Africa into a premium destination for global travel.”

According to Kagame, Rwanda has recognised tourism as a major engine of economic expansion and has capitalised on the industry as a soother following the nearly 30-year-old genocide.

“Every year, we welcome so many visitors who come to Rwanda to enjoy the unique natural beauty, attend sporting events, or participate in gatherings like this. This is a privilege and a trust that we don’t take for granted,” he added.

The president extended an invitation to travellers from both inside and outside of Africa to come, expressing his confidence in the continent's potential as "a unified tourism destination."

Rwanda is now the fourth nation in Africa to grant visa-free travel to its citizens following Kagame's announcement.

The Gambia, the Seychelles, and the Benin Republic are the other nations.

The action is also a part of the continent's attempt to rival Europe's Schengen zone by promoting trade and free movement of people within Africa.

William Ruto, the president of Kenya, declared over the weekend that African visitors would no longer need a visa to enter the nation by the end of the year.

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