Two years back when Rwanda executed the decision by African countries to offer Visa to citizens of member states of the African Union on arrival. A number of other African nations dismissed this new reality as a promotional stunt while others ignored it.
It is Tradition here in Africa that all African travelers, in contrast to several holders of Western passport should apply for their Visa ahead of traveling, usually presenting a pile of paperwork which includes invitation letters, before finally being offered access into the country they wish to visit.
research by UNWTO just as that by national research, done across the African continent suggests that nations that reduce visa requirements and lessen paperwork, or completely scrap off Visa restrictions will acquire extensive economic gains from the larger number of African travel, across Africa.
Evidently motivated by their wise decision made 2 years back, and possibly aware of the fact that their RwandAir is before long going global and requires more passengers through Kigali – (which passengers will preferably make a stopover and enjoy a Safari in Rwanda), has now declared that by 2018 they are going to strip away all Visa requirements for African Union citizens that want to visit Rwanda.
When Rwanda hosted the African continental football tournament a couple of months back, they removed Visa requirements for team players and their officials. However, thus recent announcement had placed Rwanda up in rank besides Seychelles, as the very first mainland African country to widely open its doors to all African visitors without any conditions.
Feedback received from the capital Kigali dismissed fears over unlawful immigration as well as for permitting ‘unwanted’ people into their country, a fear frequently given by other countries in Africa.
It’s clear to many observers that this country is going to put several tactics in place, just as what Seychelles is doing, to monitor its visitors through requiring hotels as well as hospitality businesses to indicate the immigration number that is stamped into their clients’ passport, to ensure that there is a clear trail of traveling wherever this visitor goes.
Without a Doubt, from 2018 Rwanda will host more conferences since delegates will require have a Visa policy
Although there is a AU policy in place to lessen and strip off Visa requirement, today, out of the 55 member countries, only 13 are on track to implement this by 2018.
For more information on Tourist Destination Rwanda, visit http://www.gorillasafarirwanda.com
