An Analysis of Air Transport Liberalization, Tourism Development, and Visa Openness in Africa

Abstract

This study analyzed the liberalization of air travel, tourism development, and visas openness in Africa. The Umbrella Literature Review methodology, which provides a thorough review of the current state of knowledge on a given issue, was applied in this study. Umbrella Literature Review entails a thorough evaluation of previous research studies. The study additionally employed gravity models to demonstrate the relationships between the liberalization of air travel, the expansion of tourism, and visa openness in Africa in order to meet the primary goals of African Union Agenda 2063. The results of the study demonstrate that the main objective of liberalizing air travel is to create a dynamic and competitive market through boosting trade, enabling connectivity, and boosting tourism, for the economic growth of Africa. The ease and volume of international tourism were found to be significantly influenced by visa regulations, which are closely related to international air travel. A number of significant research gaps regarding Africa's aviation industry and tourism development were also identified in the literature.  In order to better understand how visa liberalization influences tourism flows, the study advises policy makers to include visa friendly policies into their national policies and develop strategies that maximize the benefits of air transport liberalization, tourist development as well as visa access while guaranteeing safety and security to tourists and tourism destinations.