The newly elected Chairperson for the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF), Rodney Sikumba, has urged African governments to lift visa barriers and address issues related to connectivity for tourism to thrive across the continent.

He made the call at the just-concluded 68th CAF in Abuja.

Mr Sikumba, who is also the Minister of Tourism, Republic of Zambia, said intra-African tourism was currently facing several challenges, including visa restrictions, costly and limited flight options, inadequate infrastructure and security concerns.

He noted that the challenges inhibit interstate movements, limiting the potential for tourism growth and economic development within the continent.

The CAF chair noted that Africa’s tourism sector was vibrant and rapidly growing, contributing significantly to its economy through job creation.

He, however, noted that promoting intra-African tourism requires addressing key challenges, including reviewing existing visa regimes, improving infrastructure, especially air connectivity and transportation networks, streamlining visa processes and leveraging technology.

He said, “Why should I be charging my own brother next door for a visa, or rather require a visa for my colleague neighbour  to come into my country? That is something that has actually inhibited tourism in our respective countries and our continent, and today, 60 per cent, if not 70 per cent, of the African tourists actually travel out of the continent.

“In essence, they are actually taking our hard-earned money from Africa to other continents, and as African ministers of tourism, we strongly believe that money should be spent on the continent. I can certainly tell you today that we actually don’t make money charging visas; we make more money by allowing people to come into our country; we just need enhanced security.

“There is an agenda for digitisation within the African continent; if you’ve got a biometric passport, I should be able to know that X, Y and Z are from this place. I think that has been the most inhibiting factor, where everybody else is saying, open your skies, open your borders, so people are able to visit you. The second particular inhibiting aspect is that of infrastructure; we need accommodation, we need beds, conferencing facilities, entertainment centres, restaurants and others.’’

The CAF chair noted that although the  main objective of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was to foster economic integration and boost intra-African trade, its terms seemed to remain unimplemented.

He noted that AfCFTA, which commenced on January 1, 2021, after member states deposited their instruments of ratification, was to reduce trade barriers, liberalise trade in services, and facilitate the movement of people and capital.

He said, “You need to recall that as 54 African countries, we ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). That in itself was an indication to say yes, we are raising our hand and saying we are all going to open up our borders. That obviously should allow free movement of  goods and trading services, but  then we shouldn’t be lukewarm about it; we  need to ensure that once we ratify it, we abide by it. As ministers of tourism, we need to speak with relevant authorities and meet with our colleagues from ministries of transport and  even those in aviation on how best we can actually open skies.”

According to Mr Sikumba, the future of African prosperity depends on how its culture, creativity and technology are harnessed, adding that the sector has huge potential to gainfully engage teeming youths.

“In Africa, the common denominator is that anybody wants to be employed by the government, but the government alone cannot employ many people. That is the reason why sectors such as tourism should be repositioned to allow the young boys and girls an opportunity to work within the sector. As I proposed to my dear colleagues at the meeting, this particular sector can only be sold by Africans; there is no better person to market Africa than the Africans themselves. What is unique about us is our culture, our identity; a nation without a culture is a lost country. So we need to embrace our identity – our dress, food, songs and dances,” he said.

 (NAN)