SADC marks progress on air access, UniVisa and cross-border tourism
At ITB Berlin, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has reported measurable progress on regional tourism integration under its Tourism Programme 2020–2030, which aims to outpace global tourism growth by 2030. Headlines include completion of a regional air access study for ministerial review, an operational SADC UniVisa pilot across Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and advances in cross-border product development in Transfrontier Conservation Areas.
The air access study identifies slow implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market, high aviation taxes, limited routes and infrastructure gaps as key constraints, and recommends fast‑tracking SAATM, harmonising charges and coordinating investment. The Southern Africa Tourism Alliance will help translate recommendations into on‑the‑ground improvements. The UniVisa pilot includes ICT, legal and revenue‑sharing frameworks benchmarked to the KAZA UniVisa and the East African Tourism Visa, alongside customer‑service training for immigration staff, including at the Kazungula crossing. The session also reaffirmed a partnership approach uniting government, private sector and conservation stakeholders to drive multi‑destination growth.
Source: VoyagesAfriq
