Over the past six months, both airlines and individual countries have been responding to the growing interest from travelers in Africa.
united airlines (UAL) and Delta (DAL) It recently launched a series of new flights to countries including Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria from cities on the US East Coast, while Kenya took the unusual step of formally eliminating tourist visas to make it easier for visitors with any passport to come to the country for a short stay.
In April, Norse Atlantic Airways (NRSAF) It also announced the world's first low-cost flight to Africa from another continent: a 5,188-mile route between London and Cape Town for a starting price of $620 each way instead of the more than $1,000 charged by British Airways and South African Airways.
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“One of the largest markets in Africa with the greatest untapped potential is Nigeria,” Airbus said. (EADSF) Airline marketing director Joep Ellers told IATA's Wings of Change Focus Africa conference in Johannesburg earlier this year: “It's the most populous country and has one of the highest GDPs, it depends on who you talk to, so there's definitely a huge demand in Nigeria.”
Ethiopia and other African countries change visa rules for short-term visitors
In a separate move to promote tourism in the area, the Ethiopian government has just reduced the cost of the e-visa required to enter the country from $82 USD to $62 USD.
The visa is required for those who want to come for short tourist visits of up to 30 days and was reduced from the 90-day period in early 2023 (those who want to stay longer or do any kind of work in the country will require a different visa).
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Similar to online visas and electronic clearances required by other nations, those interested in coming to Ethiopia this way must enter their passport details and where they plan to stay in the country into the online portal to be approved by a government official (or, if nothing is marked in the passport, they will be automatically approved online).
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“Under normal circumstances, the processing time for a tourist visa is three days,” the Ethiopian Citizenship and Immigration Service writes on its website. “Therefore, travelers must submit their application at least three days before the estimated date of arrival.”
The new price is an adjustment from when the Ethiopian government raised the application fee for all visa categories by $30 in February 2023. Prices for other visa categories, including investment, journalism and work conference, remain the same.
The changes in Ethiopia are part of a broader trend of African countries redesigning their visa rules to attract more international tourists.
In May 2024, the governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe joined together to announce the creation of a joint visa that would allow short-term international visitors to pass through all five countries without having to apply for separate visas.
The visa would be an extension of an existing one that allows holders already in Zambia and Zimbabwe to take a day trip to certain popular tourist areas in Botswana.
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