QREPORTS — According to the recent UN Tourism study, titled ‘Tourism Visa Openness 2023’, in Costa Rica, 27% of travelers do not need to obtain a visa to come to the country, but more than twice that do need to obtain a traditional visa.
The report reflects ongoing changes in international travel regulations and a significant reduction in traditional visa requirements in recent years.
“Fewer and fewer people need a traditional visa to travel, from 77% in 2008 to 59% in 2018, and 47% in 2023.” In addition, “there is more visa-free travel: 21% of the world’s population does not need any type of visa, which is an increase compared to 17% in 2008 and 20% in 2018.”
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In conclusion, the report sheds light on the evolution of travel facilitation around the world, including the index of openness to tourist visas, which measures how much tourism is facilitated in different destinations and the degree of openness of the countries regarding the facilitation of visas for tourist purposes.
Mobility scores are also included to indicate the extent to which each country’s citizens are subject to visa policies, as well as an in-depth analysis of the reciprocity of visa policies.
“The 2023 data underlines a significant increase in the global mobility of citizens of all countries, marking a change from the patterns observed between 2008 and 2015. This change reflects a changing landscape in international travel and visa policies, with implications for global participation and access,” says the document published on March 13 on the digital portal of the World Tourism Organization, now called UN Tourism.
Opening scores
The report examines tourist visa regulations by region.
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; and the most restrictive regions remain Central and Northern Africa, North America and Northern and Western Europe.
For their part, visa exemptions are particularly frequent in the Caribbean and Central America; while 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; Electronic visas are common in West and East Africa and South Asia, the report shows.
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Opening of Latin America
Among the Latin American countries that do not need to apply for a visa to travel are: Argentina 28%, the Bahamas 51%, Barbados 95%, Belize 28%, Bolivia 19%, Brazil 33%, Chile 33%, Colombia 31%, Costa Rica 27%, Cuba 3%, Dominica 100%, the Dominican Republic 29%, Ecuador 59%, El Salvador 45%, Guatemala 28%, Guyana 25%, Haiti 96%, Honduras 28%, Jamaica 68%, Mexico 18%, Mexico 27%, Panama 32%, Paraguay 27%, Peru 33%, Uruguay 27%, Venezuela 25%, among others.
This means that the difference must be obtained for the traditional visa.
In general, 31% of people around the world have free access to Central American countries, according to the UN Tourism study.
Other countries
In other countries in the world such as China, 1% of the world’s population is required to obtain the document; in the United States at 1%, Japan 20%, Macau, China 70%, Fiji 77%, Malaysia 47%, Micronesia 100%, Mauritius 69%, Singapore 45%, Philippines 47%, Sebia 47%, Senegal 42%, Uzbekistan 45%, among others. Also appearing on the list are Afghanistan, Libya, Maldives, Nepal, Nauru, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Turkmenistan, Yemen, Iraq, North Korea. South Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, and others, with 0% visa processing.
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On the other hand, traditional visas issued by embassies, consulates, etc. are required, just like other countries.
In general, one of the main conclusions of the report maintains that “pre-pandemic levels of openness have been achieved: The opening of tourist destinations to international travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels after the removal of restrictions on travel related to COVID-19.”
And, as a consequence of the pandemic, new ways to facilitate travel also appeared, such as “visas for nomads.”
Recommendations to speed up travel
The report highlights the fundamental role of improvements in visa policy in promoting tourism. Key recommendations include further integration of tourism perspectives into visa strategies, targeted visa waiver programs for low-risk traveler markets, and expanded visa-on-arrival services.
Additionally, it is crucial to clearly communicate visa policies and establish simplified processes for applying for visas, as well as speeding up processing times and streamlining entry procedures to improve the visitor experience.
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