African Travel Commission Summit in Lagos: Call to Abolish Visa Barriers and Strengthen Regional Air Connectivity
On February 11 and 12, 2026, the inaugural Pan-African Tourism Summit and Exhibition, organized by the African Travel Commission (ATC), was held in Lagos, with the participation of representatives from the tourism and aviation sectors, national tourism bodies, investors, and development partners. The central message of the gathering was clear: Africa can hardly exploit its full tourism potential as long as travel within the continent is burdened by visas, expensive and infrequent flights, and inconsistent rules that vary from country to country.
Discussions in Lagos raised a question that has been recurring in the African tourism industry for years: how to encourage more Africans to move within Africa, while simultaneously strengthening the international competitiveness of destinations. According to the participants' conclusions, the answer is a combination of three levers – facilitated border crossings, liberalized air traffic, and partnerships connecting the public sector, private investors, and development banks.
Why the Topic of Visas and Borders is Back in the Spotlight
In many African countries, a traveler from a neighboring country often goes through a more complex entry procedure than a traveler from a more distant part of the world. Summit participants warned that such practices hinder the development of regional tourism routes, business travel, and event tourism, while also slowing down the emergence of a common services market, which is particularly important in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In this context, the
Africa Visa Openness Index is often mentioned—a joint indicator of the African Development Bank and the African Union that tracks how easy it is for African citizens to travel to other African countries. The 2024 report shows that progress exists but is uneven: some countries are more open, while in others restrictive rules still prevail, creating costs and uncertainty for travelers, event organizers, and carriers.
Participants in Lagos emphasized that "visa policy" cannot be viewed only as a security or migration management issue, but also as an economic tool. A claim repeated in several discussions is that predictable and simple entry rules are a prerequisite for treating tourism as a development industry rather than a secondary service. In practice, this means several models: from abolishing visas for citizens of certain regional blocks, through visas on arrival, to digitalized e-visas with clear deadlines and costs.
Air Links as the "Bottleneck" of African Tourism
The second pillar of the discussions was air connectivity within Africa. Although certain routes exist, they are often irregular or too expensive, and travelers are in some cases forced to fly through hubs outside the continent to reach a destination in another African region. Summit participants assessed that this situation reduces the competitiveness of African destinations and discourages the development of multi-country tourism products, such as routes combining cultural heritage, coasts, and natural parks across multiple countries.
In the discussions, the
Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) was mentioned as a framework for change, an African Union initiative linked to Agenda 2063, whose goal is to create a single air transport market on the continent. The African Union states that the purpose of SAATM is to promote intra-regional connectivity and remove administrative barriers to stimulate economic growth and integration. IATA, which supports SAATM, emphasizes that the liberalization of civil aviation can bring wider economic and social benefits, provided there is consistent implementation and harmonization of rules.
Participants in Lagos warned that without real progress in liberalization and without a larger number of regional routes, there will be neither enough "capacity" nor competition to bring down ticket prices. The need for better coordination between states in approving routes, treating carriers, and safety standards was particularly highlighted to encourage the opening of new routes and the development of secondary airports.
Partnerships, Investments, and the Infrastructure Issue
The third emphasized element was investments and partnerships. Organizers and participants of the summit pointed out that for tourism to grow, it needs infrastructure: from airports and roads to accommodation, digital systems for sales and visitor management, and security and health capacities. The African Union, in documents on tourism investment and financing, warns that the demand for investment in tourism infrastructure is on the rise, increasing financing needs and opening space for international financial institutions and private capital.
In Lagos, there was therefore talk of "bankable" projects – investments that have clear business logic, predictable regulatory conditions, and realistic return models. The role of development partners was mentioned, including the African Development Bank, which in its press releases emphasizes the importance of encouraging infrastructure and mobilizing the private sector, for example through investments in infrastructure funds. In a tourism context, participants pointed out that financing is not just a matter of construction, but also of maintenance, standards, and destination management.
Lagos as a Symbol of Ambition and Challenge
Why Lagos? Nigeria is a large market, and Lagos is often described as the business and cultural hub of West Africa. Organizers emphasized that hosting the summit sends a message about the intention to position tourism as a strategic sector, with potential for jobs, entrepreneurship, and the development of creative industries. At the same time, some international analyses remind us that Nigeria, despite a rich spectrum of attractions, faces challenges with infrastructure and security perception, which affects the number of arrivals and visitor spending.
This is precisely why the discussions on visas and air links gained additional weight: participants assessed that the number of visitors and the length of stay increase most rapidly when travel is simple, logistics are predictable, and prices are accessible. In this sense, the "gateway" city model – where regional tours are developed through well-connected airports and a network of flights – was mentioned as a practice that more African states could apply.
Innovation and Research: From Ideas to Measurable Results
One of the emphases of the summit was the need for innovation and better use of data. Delegates spoke about the fact that tourism policies in some countries are still made without sufficient research into demand, traveler behavior, and the impact on local communities. In Lagos, therefore, there was mention of strengthening the capacity of national statistical systems, cooperation with academic institutions and industry, and the development of common standards for measuring the impact of tourism.
Such an approach gains additional weight in the period of recovery of global travel. UN Tourism, in its report on world tourism, states that 2024 saw an almost complete return of international tourism arrivals to pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 1.4 billion international trips. Summit participants in Lagos sent a message that Africa in this environment must be ready to offer products that are competitive in price and quality, but also sustainable – with clear rules for the protection of nature, cultural heritage, and local interests.
Coordinated Policies: Where Interests Clash
The discussions showed that visas, flights, and investments are interconnected. A more liberal visa policy without flights can increase interest but not the realization of travel; more flights without harmonized rules can bring growth but also regulatory disputes; investments without predictable policies hardly attract long-term capital. Participants therefore advocated for a coordinated approach, in which tourism policy is not isolated but linked to transport, security, digitalization, and regional integration.
The role of regional organizations was particularly highlighted. At the meeting, it was mentioned that ECOWAS, as a regional block, could more strongly "embed" tourism into development frameworks to facilitate the movement of people and encourage the standardization of procedures. In this approach, a political signal is also important: when states publicly set the goal of facilitating travel, it is easier to align institutions that manage borders, air traffic, and the investment environment.
What Could Concretely Follow After the Summit
Although the summit itself does not change the rules, participants spoke about a series of practical steps that could be the next phase. Mentioned were:
- expanding the e-visa model and introducing clear, digitally accessible entry procedures;
- pilot programs for visa waivers or the introduction of visas on arrival within selected regional corridors;
- encouraging regional airlines by removing regulatory barriers and better coordination of permits;
- directing development funds and private capital into connectivity projects and tourism infrastructure;
- strengthening sustainability standards and including local communities in tourism value chains.
Organizers announced that the discussions from Lagos will result in recommendations and partnership frameworks, emphasizing that tourism should be treated as an instrument of economic integration, rather than a sector that depends exclusively on seasons and marketing campaigns.
If the messages from Lagos are translated into measures, African tourism could gain stronger internal momentum: more travel within the continent, more stable demand independent of distant markets, and more realistic chances for destinations to connect into regional products. However, success will, as participants pointed out, depend on political will and implementation – from borders and air agreements to investments that must follow growth.
Sources:- African Travel Commission – announcement and framework of the summit in Lagos ( link )- eTurboNews – report on messages from the summit: visas, regional flights, and partnerships ( link )- African Union – official website of the SAATM initiative ( link )- IATA – overview of SAATM and expected effects of liberalization ( link )- African Union / African Development Bank – Africa Visa Openness Report 2024 (PDF) ( link )- UN Tourism – global recovery of international tourism in 2024 ( link )- African Union – document on investment and financing of tourism in Africa (PDF) ( link )
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