Visa-on-Arrival policy can boost travel, trade, AFRAA advocates

AFRICA AIRLINES ASSOCIATION (AFRAA) has called on African governments to key into the visa on arrival (VOA) policy to boost travel, tourism, trade and investment in their respective countries, as obtained in other parts of the world.

Aaron Munetsi, director, of government, legal and industry affairs, ATRAA, said at the Aviation Day of the just concluded 15th Akwaaba African Travel Market with the theme,”Impact of Airport Development, Airlines on Tourism Growth,” held at Eko

Hotel in Lagos.

Munetsi, who was the lead speaker, stated that the trendy thing in other parts of the world to make it easier for air travellers, investors to come to your country is Visa on Arrival, wondering why African countries are not embracing it.

He contended that of the 54 countries in Africa only 16 have facilities for VOA, adding that not introducing VOA means stopping people from coming into their countries.

VOA, he stated would boost the travel and tourism industries of the countries in the world that have introduced it.

“Why are you stopping people from coming into your country? African governments, if people want to come into your country open up,” he said.

Munetsi urged African countries to harness the potential of Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), lamenting that 20 per cent of the trade in Africa is handled by Africans and that the balance of 80 per cent of the trade is controlled by nonAfricans.

He also spoke on the need for African countries to stop charging their fellow Africans visa fee, wondering if the policy of charging Africans fee was based on government policy or as a result of poverty.

In his word, “When you charge Africans for visa, is it out of policy or poverty?”

To buttress his argument, the AFRAA director told the gathering that in Ghana he paid $150 for single entry visa, wondering why it should be so.