Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are developing a joint visa arrangement for supporters travelling between the three countries during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), seeking to use the continental football tournament to stimulate cross-border tourism and business.
The proposal, announced by East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers chairperson Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga on October 12, is intended to make it easier for fans to attend matches in different host countries and visit tourist attractions during the tournament.
The three countries will host AFCON from June 19 to July 17, 2027, in what will be the first edition of the competition staged across three nations. The arrangement remains under development, with its final requirements and implementation details yet to be announced.
For the regional travel industry, the proposal presents an opportunity to package football with leisure travel, allowing visitors to combine match attendance with safaris, coastal holidays and other tourism experiences across the three markets.
Hotels, airlines, ground transport operators and tour companies could benefit if supporters extend their stays or travel between countries rather than visiting only one host destination. However, the commercial impact will depend on the cost and convenience of the proposed visa, the tournament schedule and the availability of transport and accommodation.
The visa initiative builds on broader regional efforts to coordinate preparations for the tournament. In April, sports ministers from the three host countries agreed to pursue a common visa framework covering fans, teams, officials and other tournament stakeholders, alongside measures to facilitate movement across borders.
A key consideration is how the proposed arrangement will interact with existing entry requirements. Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda already participate in the East African Tourist Visa scheme, but Tanzania is not part of that arrangement. A dedicated AFCON framework covering all three host countries could therefore address a gap for visitors seeking to move between the tournament’s destinations, depending on the final rules.
The economic opportunity extends beyond ticket sales. Visitors travelling for the tournament may spend on accommodation, food, local transport, excursions and shopping, spreading tourism revenue across several destinations. For travel businesses, this creates scope for multi-country itineraries built around match dates, provided travel times and connections allow supporters to move between venues.
But easier entry alone will not guarantee that the region captures those benefits. Border procedures, flight connections, road transport, hotel capacity and coordination between the three countries will influence whether fans can realistically combine matches and holidays. Clear information on eligibility, fees, validity and application procedures will also be necessary before travel companies can sell packages based on the new arrangement.
The proposal is therefore an important development for regional tourism, but not yet a confirmed travel facility. Until the governments publish the final framework, agents and tour operators will need to continue checking the applicable entry requirements for each destination.
Source: The Citizen
