Visa, air reforms lead African tourism agenda

By Jimoh Babatunde

Stakeholders across Africa’s tourism ecosystem have renewed calls for sweeping reforms in visa policies, air connectivity, and public-private collaboration as critical levers to unlock the continent’s vast but underutilised tourism potential.

The calls formed the core resolutions of the Inaugural African Travel Commission (ATC) Summit and Exhibition, recently, at the Eko Hotels and Suites, in Lagos, under the theme: Accelerating Africa’s Tourism Growth through Innovation, Partnerships and Sustainable Investments. 

The summit marked the first major continental engagement of the revived African Travel Commission since its re-registration as a non-profit organisation in Ghana in 2021. Originally founded in 1965 by Chief Executive Officers of National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) across Africa, the ATC was conceived as a unified continental voice in global tourism governance.

Reclaiming a historic role

Participants reflected on the Commission’s historic influence, particularly its role in the establishment of the World Tourism Organisation, now known as UN Tourism, as well as its contribution to the creation of World Tourism Day, observed annually on September 27.

Yet, despite Africa’s cultural wealth, biodiversity, and thriving creative industries, delegates agreed that tourism remains significantly underleveraged across much of the continent.

According to discussions at the summit, global tourism hit record levels in 2025. Africa contributed approximately $225 billion to GDP and supported nearly 30 million jobs. However, West Africa’s tourism contribution remains comparatively low, highlighting structural bottlenecks that require urgent policy attention.

Structural barriers to growth

Among the major constraints identified were restrictive visa regimes, limited intra-African air connectivity, weak regional integration, and insufficient collaboration between governments and private sector players.

Delegates argued that Africa’s fragmented visa policies continue to discourage intra-continental travel and stifle business opportunities. Governments, regional economic communities, and the African Union were urged to harmonise visa regimes, reduce or eliminate visa fees for African travellers, and promote freer movement across borders.

Countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana were commended for lifting visa restrictions for African citizens ,  moves seen as progressive models for regional integration.

Air connectivity emerged as another central theme. Delegates emphasised that limited direct routes and high airfares continue to restrict tourism flows within the continent. The summit strongly recommended the establishment of a Nigerian national carrier to serve as a strategic hub airline for West Africa, alongside increased investment in aviation infrastructure and expanded intra-African air routes.

Tourism as an integration tool

Beyond policy reforms, stakeholders stressed the need to position tourism as a strategic instrument for economic integration and development. Regional blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States were encouraged to integrate tourism more deliberately into development frameworks.

The summit featured six technical papers and four high-level panel sessions, bringing together leaders from academia and industry. Discussions centred on innovation, sustainable investments, digital transformation, skills development, and strengthening public-private partnerships.

Participants agreed that the African Travel Commission must take a leadership role in conducting continental research, establishing a comprehensive tourism statistics database, and driving training and capacity-building initiatives across member states. The development of shared marketing platforms to promote Africa as a single global destination was also identified as a priority.

Vanguard News

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