Malawi and Zambia both have scrapped visa requirements for their most important source markets, including the U.S.
The Malawi government released a statement that it is waiving visa requirements for tourists from 16 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany, at the end of January.
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Simon Mbvundula, spokesperson for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife in Malawi, said the action is based on research that found the country was losing tourist business to other African countries because of its high visa fees.
Zambia is also waiving visas for travelers from 43 countries, including the U.S. Visa-exempt nationals are allowed to remain in the country up to 30 days with an option to extend up to 90 days.
The Zambia visa waiver for the original list of countries was expected to be in effect last Oct. 1; however, there was a delay owing to the absence of a legal framework.