African travellers are among the most enthusiastic about using digital technology to simplify their journeys, but visa complexity and costs remain a significant obstacle, according to IATA’s latest Global Passenger Survey (GPS).
The survey found that 84% of African respondents had been discouraged from travelling to a destination because of visa complexity and costs, compared with 70% globally.
The GPS shows that entry requirements are a growing barrier to travel. Globally, immigration requirements have discouraged 43% of passengers from visiting a destination, up from 33% in 2025.
Of travellers put off by immigration requirements, 53% say the process is too complex, followed by cost (17%) and privacy (17%), while 60% prefer to apply for a visa online, compared with 25% who prefer to visit a consulate or embassy.
“Passengers want to apply for visas online and complete immigration procedures before they reach the airport. E-visas can deliver that, but airlines can only verify them efficiently if governments use common standards. More than 100 countries issue e-visas yet there is little consistency in how they are checked,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security.
Digital solutions
Despite the challenges, African passengers showed strong interest in digital solutions. While biometric use in the region remains lower, satisfaction among those who have experienced it reached 91% compared with the global average of 87%.
Interest in adopting the technology was high at 82% compared with 78% globally. The region also recorded the second-highest interest, after the Middle East, in using digital passports during airline booking (87% vs 82% globally) and online check-in (87% vs 84% globally).
Globally, 58% of passengers had used biometrics during their airport journey in the past year, up from 50% in 2025, with 87% satisfied with the experience and 78% willing to share their biometric information if it meant they could avoid having to show a passport or boarding pass at airport checkpoints.
However, trust remains important to wider adoption. Globally, passengers’ main concerns about biometrics were data breaches (59%), information being shared with other organisations (49%), and a lack of clarity about how personal information is handled (41%).
