The report sheds light on the evolving travel facilitation landscape. It includes the Tourism Visa Openness Index which measures the degree to which destinations facilitate tourism and how open a country is in terms of visa facilitation for tourism purposes. Additionally, mobility scores are included to indicate the extent to which citizens around the world are subject to visa policies, as well as an in-depth analysis of visa policy reciprocity.
Key findings include:
Regional opening scores:
Return to pre-pandemic opening. The openness of destinations to international travel has recovered to pre-pandemic levels following the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions. As a consequence of the pandemic, new ways to facilitate travel also appeared, such as "nomadic visas".
Decreasing traditional visa requirements – Fewer people around the world require a traditional visa to travel, falling from 77% in 2008 to 59% in 2018, and then to 47% in 2023.
Visa-free travel: 21% of the world's population does not need any type of visa, an increase from 17% in 2008 and 20% in 2018.
Visa on arrival: 14% of the world's population can apply for a visa on arrival, an increase from 6% in 2008 and 15% in 2018.
eVisas: 18% of the world's population can apply for eVisas, an increase from 3% in 2013 and 7% in 2018.
The report analyzes tourism visa regulations by region, highlighting:
Asia and the Pacific had the highest openness score of all regions in the world.
The most open subregions are Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Caribbean.
The largest increase in openness since the last report in 2018 was seen in South Asia and West Africa.
The most restrictive regions remain Central and Northern Africa, North America, and Northern and Western Europe.
Visa exemptions are particularly prevalent in the Caribbean and Central America.
Visa on arrival policies are common in East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa.
Applications for traditional visas in the Middle East decreased from 71% of the world's population in 2015 to 57% in 2023.
E-visas are prevalent in West and East Africa and South Asia.
Recommendations for agile trips:
The report highlights the critical role of improvements in visa policy in fostering tourism growth. Key recommendations include greater integration of tourism perspectives into visa strategies, targeted visa waiver programs for low-risk traveler markets, and expanded visa-on-arrival facilities. Additionally, clear communication on visa policies is vital, along with a simplified visa application process, expedited processing times and streamlined entry procedures for a better visitor experience.
Source: UN TOURISM.