Visa Policies and Visa Openness Scores in SADC – An Exclusion Element of Tourism Development in Southern Africa: A Critical Interjection

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to critically show how visa policies in Southern Africa affect tourism development. The paper adopted a regional perspective on the dynamics of visa policies affect tourist flows. This article also discusses the implications of visa policies on tourist arrivals. Government efforts in influencing the change in visa policies are also discussed in this paper. The study identified three main reasons why visa policies are pursued; namely, border security; minimising illegal immigration and reciprocity. The paper concludes that, while visa policies may help tourist destination within the region with revenue, they have a more deterring effect as it affects destination choice and visa openness scores, thus affecting tourism development.