NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) \u2014 Rwanda announced Thursday that it will allow Africans to travel visa-free to the country, becoming the latest nation on the continent to announce such a measure aimed at boosting free movement of people and trade to rival Europe\u2019s Schengen zone.<\/p>\n
President Paul Kagame made the announcement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as \u201ca unified tourism destination\u201d for a continent that still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside Africa, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny African, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country\u201d said Kagame during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should not lose sight of our own continental market,\u201d he said. \u201cAfricans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin and Seychelles.<\/p>\n
Kenya\u2019s President William Ruto announced Monday plans to allow all Africans to travel to the East African nation visa-free by December 31.<\/p>\n
\u201cVisa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us. When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel we all become net losers\u201d said Ruto at an international summit in Congo Brazzaville.<\/p>\n
The African Union in 2016 launched an African passport with much fanfare, saying it would rival the European Union model in \u201cunleashing the potential of the continent.\u201d However, only diplomats and AU officials have been issued the travel document so far.<\/p>\n
The African Passport and free movement of people is \u201caimed at removing restrictions on African\u2019s ability to travel, work and live within their own continent,\u201d The AU says on its website.<\/p>\n
AU also launched the African Continental Free Trade Area, a continent-wide free trade area estimated to be worth $3.4 trillion, which aims to create a single unified market for the continent\u2019s 1.3 billion people and to boost economic development.<\/p>\n