Southern Africa is poised to become a premier tourist destination by expanding a Schengen-style single visa, making it easier for international visitors to travel across five countries - Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This initiative aims to drive growth in the tourism sector by simplifying the visa process, enhancing the visitor experience, and promoting the conservation of the region and unique natural heritage.
The univisa, already in use between Zambia and Zimbabwe, allows travellers to enter multiple countries with a single visa, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and encouraging longer stays. Expanding this visa is expected to boost tourist arrivals, support regional conservation initiatives, and increase revenue for local economies. The Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, one of the largest protected areas in the world, will benefit significantly from the universal expansion. This region is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, including large populations of elephants, lions, and buffalo, and is a key focus of the Univisa initiative.
National parks are at the heart of Southern Africa's tourism industry, allowing visitors to experience the region's incredible biodiversity, stunning landscapes, and unique ecosystems. The expansion of the univisa will make it easier for tourists to explore these parks, many of which are located within the KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area.
The success of the univisa has sparked interest in further extending the visa to other countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with the ultimate goal of creating a regional visa
that allows seamless travel across all SADC member states. This initiative has the potential to significantly enhance the region's appeal as a unified travel destination, attract more tourists, increase tourism revenue, and support the conservation of its unique natural heritage.
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