Delegates at the 9th Africa MICE Summit warned that restrictive visa policies and expensive inter‑African airfares are curbing the continent’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector.

Summit convener Kezy Mukiri said governments and private‑sector players are operating in silos, weakening Africa’s ability to attract major international conferences.

Mukiri noted that visa requirements directly affect how attractive African destinations appear to international delegates.

PrideInn Hotels Managing Director Hasnain Noorani called for visa‑free access and cheaper regional flights, noting his group has already invested in facilities capable of hosting over 6,000 delegates at a single event.

Noorani stressed that opening borders and reducing flight costs are non‑negotiable steps and urged stronger convention bureaux backed by government support to market African destinations.

Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, speaking at the 10th Aviation Africa Summit in Nairobi, echoed the call for fewer travel barriers, aligning with the broader push for an open African skies agenda.

Data cited at the summit showed that only 28.2% of intra‑African travel was visa‑free by the end of 2025, highlighting the scale of the challenge.

Industry participants warned that without reforms, Africa could lose billions of shillings in potential tourism and business revenue, undermining the sector’s contribution to hotels, airlines, transport operators and conference facilities.