The SADC Business Council Tourism Alliance has expressed deep concern over Namibia’s newly proposed visa restrictions.
The Namibian government recently removed 31 countries from its visa-exempt list for not offering reciprocal visa exemptions to Namibia.
The Alliance said the new policy seemed to contradict Namibia Airport Company’s new air access strategy, Air Connect Namibia, which aims to increase international flight connectivity, as well as the new Univisa that the SADC region is preparing to pilot.
According to the Alliance, visa liberalisation has proved to boost tourism, foreign investment and overall economic growth in other Southern African countries.
“A restrictive visa regime can negatively impact the entire tourism value chain. It hinders not only leisure travel but also business travel, conferences, events, education, and trade, thereby limiting overall economic growth and development,” said Natalia Rosa, Project Lead for the SADC Business Council Tourism Alliance.
Rosa urged the Namibian government to reconsider the new measures, as the country risked falling behind its regional peers and losing its competitive edge as a tourist destination. She recommended alternative measures such as implementing more efficient visa processing systems, targeting visa waivers for specific groups or enhancing border security.
