The government of Equatorial Guinea and the international company VFS-Global signed an agreement on October 6 on the development of technical capacities for the issuance of online visas to foreign tourists. As of February 1, 2023, tourists and travelers from all over the world will be able to obtain online visas to enter the territory of Equatorial Guinea.
This project, promoted by Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue to develop tourism in the country, was launched on October 6 with the signing of a contract between the country’s government and the Emirati company VFS-Global in the presence of the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea.
According to the Government of Malabo, the implementation of the possibility of obtaining online visas will allow, on the one hand, to open Equatorial Guinea to the world and, on the other, to optimize the income of the national tourism sector.
At the same time, after four months of express training, the AGASE tourism business group and the national tourism operator Eurekeando, with the joint work of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Craft Development, as well as the support of the Government of Equatorial Guinea, completed the first education and training program for tour guides in Equatorial Guinea, in order to cover the current and future needs of national tourism.
This initiative ended on October 11: 16 young professionals received the certificates of official tourist guides of Equatorial Guinea. With the introduction of online visas, Equatorial Guinea will open up to the world starting next January, and by then the executive power in Malabo intends to train qualified professionals capable of guiding tourists throughout the country.
However, it should be noted that Equatorial Guinea as a tourist destination remains a dubious solution for most tourists and travelers from Europe, America and Asia, while the authoritarian regime of the Obiang family takes power in the country. Most likely, the development of the tourism sector is just a cover to create a positive image of the country in front of the international community.
Equatorial Guinea currently lacks the necessary tourist infrastructure and serious security problems persist. Simplified visas open up opportunities mainly for clandestine businesses and also increase the risk of terrorist attacks by opponents of the regime, whose number is increasing year after year.
