- A record 54% of the
continent is accessible for African visitors who no longer need a visa to
travel or can get one on arrival
- In 2020, The Gambia joins Seychelles and Benin in allowing visa-free access
for all African travelers.
- 24 countries offer e-Visas reflecting
44% of the continent.
Abidjan,
Cote d’Ivoire, 10 December 2020 - The upward trend in African countries
liberalizing their visa regimes and welcoming African travelers continues,
according to the 2020 Africa Visa Openness Index published by the African Union
Commission and African Development Bank on Thursday.
This
fifth edition of the Index highlights the negative impact of the COVID-19
pandemic, which threatens to reverse Africa’s economic gains of recent years,
affecting sectors from tourism through to investment. As travel restrictions
ease and safety measures are put in place to contain the pandemic, sustaining
progress and momentum on more comfortable continent-wide travel is vital.
The
2020 Index shows that a record 54% of the continent is accessible for African
visitors, who no longer need visas to travel or can get one on arrival, up by
9% since 2016. In 2020, The Gambia joins Seychelles and Benin in allowing
visa-free access for all African travelers. In addition, 20 countries moved upwards
in rank on the Index, while 50 countries improved or maintained their scores.
The report shows a significant rise in e-Visas, offered by 24 countries in
Africa.
Notwithstanding
the gains made, findings show that African citizens still need visas to travel
to 46% of African countries. Countries in East and West Africa rank highest
among the top performers, worthy of emulation by countries in the other
regions.
The
Index’s findings reinforce the benefits of prioritizing visa openness solutions
in large and small economies, with the biggest gains accruing to business,
investment, innovation and tourism. Further facilitating the free movement of
people, goods and services, becomes even more important with the start of
trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on 1 January
2021.
African
Development Bank Vice-President, Regional Development, Integration and Business
Delivery, Dr. Khaled F. Sherif said, “as the evolving fallout of the COVID-19
pandemic has shown, countries increasingly need to look beyond domestic
frontiers to boost their economic prospects. Visa openness will support Africa
to reposition its future growth.”
As
close to half of African destinations ease travel restrictions in line with
plans to manage the pandemic, travel safety and security remain foremost in
policymakers’ and people’s minds as it concerns opening up of borders, and as
governments update measures for permitting travel.
“As
the time has come to safely reopen and revive economies across Africa, it is
imperative to institute measures that propel the continent and all its citizens
forward. Liberalizing a country's visa regime is a policy tool that can be
quickly adopted to do this,” said Amb. Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson,
African Union Commission.
About
the Africa Visa Openness Index
The
Africa Visa Openness Index measures the extent to which African countries are
open to travelers from other African countries when it comes to visas by
looking at what they ask of the citizens when they travel into their countries.
The Index is tracking changes in country scores over time to show which
countries are making improvements that support people's freer movement across
Africa.
Download
the 2020 Africa Visa Openness Index and find out more at www.visaopenness.org
Source: Communication and External Relations Department, African Development Bank
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