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Kenya will review its widely criticized visa-free policy after the country plummeted in an index that measures accessibility to visitors, the Cabinet said in a statement.
The government in January replaced visas with its Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system — a mandatory online requirement that costs $30 and takes three days to process. Travellers have complained about the cost and processing delays.
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The Cabinet on Tuesday greenlit a review in response to “various concerns.” Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano on Wednesday said on X that a review was scheduled for Jan. 7, adding that it would aim to improve Kenya’s ranking on the Africa Visa Openness Index, by the African Development Bank, where the country fell 17 places this year to rank 46th out of 54 countries.
Kenya generated around $2.7 billion dollars from tourism last year, making it one of the largest contributors to the economy.
Some fear the ETA could hinder the country’s ability to meet its target of welcoming 5 million tourists annually by 2027, up from 2.1 million last year.
