Africa, Zanzibar and Kenya are experiencing stronger tourism momentum as international travel demand expands, but visa requirements, transport infrastructure, air connectivity and cross-border systems remain important factors in how easily visitors can move between destinations. Africa received an estimated 81.3 million international visitors in 2025, an increase of 7.8% from 2024, making it the fastest-growing tourism region globally that year, according to the African Development Bank. The bank linked the increase partly to improved air connectivity, destination positioning and tourism infrastructure investment.
Tourism growth is increasing pressure on travel systems
The rising visitor numbers are changing the practical side of African travel. A holiday advertised around beaches, wildlife, heritage or cultural experiences can involve several separate transport and administrative steps once a traveller begins arranging the trip.
For visitors combining countries, these can include visa applications, border procedures, flight connections, road transfers, domestic flights and payment arrangements. The African Development Bank and African Union Commission have continued to identify movement across borders as an important part of continental integration, with more than half of intra-African travel still requiring a visa before departure in the latest Visa Openness Index.
The latest figures also show gradual progress. Visa-free travel accounted for 28.2% of intra-African travel in 2025, the highest level recorded by the index, while e-visa availability expanded to 31 African countries.
Zanzibar highlights the importance of seamless island access
Zanzibar remains one of East Africa’s most recognisable leisure destinations, with visitors travelling for beaches, marine activities, heritage tourism and cultural experiences. The island can also be incorporated into wider Tanzania itineraries that include mainland destinations and safari areas.
For international travellers, however, reaching an island destination requires coordination between international flights, regional connections and local transfers. Travellers combining Zanzibar with Kenya, Tanzania’s mainland or other East African destinations need to consider flight schedules and transfer times when building an itinerary.
The broader East African tourism market has shown strong travel activity. World Bank data tracking aviation passenger arrivals, used as a proxy for tourism trends, showed Eastern and Southern Africa recording 11% year-on-year growth in the third quarter of 2025.
Kenya and East Africa benefit from expanding connectivity
Kenya is an important regional tourism gateway, particularly for travellers combining wildlife and coastal holidays. Nairobi provides international and regional air connections, while Mombasa connects visitors with the Indian Ocean coast.
Travellers can build multi-country routes linking Kenya with Tanzania, Rwanda or Uganda, but the number of border crossings and flight segments can increase the amount of planning required. Aviation connectivity and visa policies therefore influence not only whether travellers choose a destination, but also how many destinations they include in one trip.
At a February 2026 symposium in Addis Ababa, African Development Bank and African Union Commission representatives highlighted aviation connectivity and visa liberalisation as interconnected requirements for easier movement across Africa.
Air connectivity remains central to tourism growth
Improving road networks alone does not solve the challenge for international visitors travelling across large distances. Air connections remain essential for linking major tourism gateways with regional destinations.
The African Development Bank has reported progress in transport infrastructure, including nearly 2,000 kilometres of cross-border and national roads constructed or rehabilitated through completed operations in 2025. These projects improved transport access for more than eight million people.
For tourism, better roads can reduce transfer times between airports, cities, national parks, coastal destinations and accommodation areas. They can also make multi-stop itineraries more practical for visitors.
Visa systems are gradually becoming more digital
Digital visa systems are another part of the changing travel environment. The number of African countries offering e-visas to African visitors has increased significantly over the past decade, while several countries have also introduced broader visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements.
Rwanda and The Gambia have reached full visa openness for African travellers, while Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi have recorded significant improvements over the past decade.
For travellers, the practical benefit is fewer pre-travel administrative steps when moving between participating countries. However, requirements continue to differ by nationality and destination, so travellers still need to check the rules applicable to each country before departure.
Payment systems add another layer to trip planning
Payments are also becoming part of Africa’s tourism infrastructure. Hotels, tour operators, transport providers and attractions increasingly depend on digital payment systems, while travellers may still encounter differences in card acceptance, mobile payments and currency arrangements between countries.
The World Bank has highlighted the development of interoperable digital public infrastructure, including digital identification, payments and data exchange, as part of wider digital transformation efforts in Western and Central Africa.
For tourists, more consistent payment systems can simplify bookings, local transport and purchases, particularly when an itinerary crosses several destinations.
Marketing and infrastructure now move together
Africa’s tourism growth is creating demand for more than destination visibility. Beaches in Zanzibar, wildlife in Kenya and Tanzania, cultural attractions in Ethiopia, heritage sites in Ghana and city tourism in South Africa are reaching wider international audiences, while the infrastructure supporting those journeys continues to develop.
The African Development Bank projects tourism-dependent economies to grow more slowly in 2026 than in 2025, partly because higher energy and transport costs are affecting travel conditions.
For travellers, the practical picture is becoming clearer: choosing an African destination increasingly involves considering not only what there is to see, but how easily the journey can be completed. As visitor numbers rise, visa access, reliable transport, air connectivity, digital payments and efficient border crossings are becoming central parts of Africa’s tourism experience.
