Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are exploring a common tourist visa for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), an initiative that could ease cross-border travel and create new business opportunities for airlines, travel agents, hotels and tour operators across East Africa.
The proposal comes as the three countries report rising international visitor numbers and tourism earnings, strengthening the commercial case for marketing them as a connected destination rather than competing national markets.
Combined, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda recorded approximately 6.63 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, generating about US$9.9 billion in tourism earnings, based on their respective national statistics. The figures cover different national reporting systems and should not be interpreted as a count of unique travellers across the region.
Kenya recorded approximately 2.7 million international arrivals and tourism earnings of about Sh500 billion in 2025. Tanzania received 2.29 million international visitors, generating US$4.41 billion, while Uganda recorded 1.64 million arrivals and tourism receipts of US$1.62 billion.
The proposed visa was endorsed by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during a meeting with the country’s AFCON Local Organising Committee in July 2026. The proposal envisages a four-month arrangement allowing eligible football supporters, tourists, officials and participating teams to travel between the three host countries without obtaining separate entry permits for each.
Museveni directed officials to begin discussions with Kenya and Tanzania. However, the endorsement is not a final tripartite agreement, and the proposed visa’s fee, eligibility rules, application process and operational dates have yet to be confirmed.
The timing is significant. AFCON 2027 is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, giving the tournament a defined window around which tourism businesses can develop regional travel products.
Three tourism markets, one regional opportunity
The scale of the three markets offers a useful starting point for assessing the opportunity.
Kenya’s international arrivals increased from approximately 2.47 million in 2024 to 2.7 million in 2025, a rise of about 9 per cent. Tourism earnings increased from Sh452.2 billion to approximately Sh500 billion over the same period.
Tanzania’s international arrivals rose 7.1 per cent, from 2.14 million in 2024 to 2.29 million in 2025. Tourism earnings grew 13 per cent, from US$3.90 billion to US$4.41 billion.
Uganda recorded 1.64 million international arrivals in 2025, up from 1.37 million in 2024, representing growth of approximately 19.7 per cent. Tourism receipts increased to US$1.62 billion from US$1.28 billion in 2024.
These figures point to three substantial tourism economies with complementary products: Kenya’s wildlife and coastal circuits, Tanzania’s safari and Zanzibar markets, and Uganda’s gorilla trekking, wildlife and cultural experiences.
For the travel trade, the commercial question is whether the visa can help turn these separate products into itineraries that generate additional nights, bookings and spending across more than one country.
A visitor attending a match in Nairobi, for example, could extend the trip to a Kenyan safari or the coast before travelling to Tanzania or Uganda. Such an itinerary would create opportunities for travel agents to combine international air tickets, regional flights, accommodation, transfers, park visits and guided excursions into a single sale.
However, these are potential business opportunities, not confirmed projections of additional arrivals or revenue. The actual return will depend on the visa’s final terms, transport connections, accommodation availability and the extent to which visitors choose to travel beyond the tournament venues.
The existing regional visa leaves Tanzania outside the arrangement
East Africa already has a common tourist visa covering Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The existing East Africa Tourist Visa costs US$100 and allows eligible visitors multiple entries into the participating countries for 90 days.
Tanzania is not part of that arrangement, making its inclusion in the proposed AFCON framework a significant policy change if the three governments reach an agreement.
The proposed four-month visa should not be confused with the existing 90-day product. Its price, validity and entry conditions remain unconfirmed, and the current visa’s terms cannot automatically be applied to it.
For travel companies, a clearly defined common visa could reduce uncertainty when quoting multi-country holidays. It could also simplify the explanation of entry requirements for international clients, although passport, immigration and other applicable conditions would still need to be observed.
The policy challenge is to ensure that the arrangement works across three national immigration systems without creating confusion over fees, permitted stays, border controls and the treatment of visitors entering or leaving the region more than once.
Regional tourism strategy sets a longer-term ambition
The visa proposal is part of a wider effort to strengthen East Africa’s position in the international tourism market.
On October 15, 2026, tourism ministers from the East African Community adopted a ten-year tourism marketing strategy covering 2027 to 2036. The framework promotes the region as a single destination under the brand Visit East Africa: Feel the Vibe, with priorities including digital marketing, cross-border packages, improved tourism statistics and progress towards a single tourist visa.
The strategy gives the AFCON initiative a longer-term context. If the visa and joint marketing arrangements are implemented effectively, the tournament could help establish regional itineraries that continue to be sold after the final whistle.
The EAC has also urged member states to improve tourism establishment classification ahead of the tournament, highlighting accommodation standards and service quality as important parts of the visitor experience. Uganda is scheduled to host the fourth EAC Regional Tourism Expo alongside the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo in May 2027, incorporating AFCON promotion and multi-country tourism packages.
For tourism businesses, this creates a potential route from event-driven promotion to sustained regional sales. But marketing a destination jointly will only be commercially effective if travellers can move between countries conveniently and receive consistent service standards.
Visitor spending matters more than arrivals alone
The national earnings figures also show why the opportunity should be assessed in terms of visitor spending, not just the number of football supporters entering the region.
In Tanzania, tourism earnings increased 13 per cent in 2025, faster than the 7.1 per cent rise in international arrivals. The country reported average tourist expenditure of US$289 per person per night on the mainland, while Zanzibar recorded US$274. Uganda reported average tourist expenditure of US$986 per trip in 2025, up from US$933 in 2024, alongside an increase in average length of stay from 8.7 to 8.8 nights.
These figures use different measures and are not directly comparable. They nevertheless illustrate the commercial importance of encouraging visitors to stay longer, purchase additional experiences and distribute their spending among more tourism businesses.
For travel agents, this could favour packages that combine football with established attractions and clearly priced extensions, rather than itineraries built solely around match attendance. The opportunity will also depend on the availability of regional flights, reliable ground transport and accommodation at the right price points.
The three governments will need to publish the visa rules early enough for operators to price and market their products with confidence. Until then, businesses should avoid presenting the proposed visa as an available service or promising clients unrestricted travel across all three countries.
Implementation will determine the economic return
The proposed visa does not, by itself, guarantee an increase in tourism earnings. Its effectiveness will depend on how quickly the governments settle the technical and administrative details and whether the arrangement is integrated with the wider preparations for AFCON.
The private sector will also need reliable information on match schedules, accommodation capacity, transport links, entry conditions and the availability of regional tourism products. Without these, travel businesses may find it difficult to convert international interest in the tournament into confirmed multi-country bookings.
The stakes extend beyond the month-long competition. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda collectively generated about US$9.9 billion in tourism earnings in 2025, according to their national figures. A more connected regional market could help the three countries sell longer journeys and broaden the distribution of visitor spending, although the size of any additional revenue remains unknown.
For now, the proposed common visa remains a policy initiative rather than an operational travel product. Its significance will ultimately be measured not by the announcement itself, but by whether it makes cross-border travel easier and creates lasting commercial value for East Africa’s tourism industry.