This week Somalia introduced a new e-visa system, as it tries to encourage more tourism and business in one of the world’s most challenging nations.

Interest from international visitors is on the rise, with adventure travel company – Untamed Borders, seeing a sharp spike in the number of people wanting to visit Mogadishu.
Historically, the visa system was complicated and drawn-out, but the streamlined process will aid the Somali authorities’ ambitions to draw in more foreign visitors. In 2024 the Somali Ministry of Tourism reported more than 10,000 tourists visited the nation, a 50% rise on the year before.

Founder of Untamed Borders, James Willcox, attributes the positive interest in Somalia to a number of factors:

“Over the next 6 months, we have 13 group departures to Mogadishu, this compares to 2 in 2024.

Most are running at full capacity and we have seen a lot of private trip enquiries too.ADVERTISEMENTSomalia is experiencing a degree of relative stability compared to years gone by. The country still has enormous challenges, but the fierce fighting of recent decades, has reduced markedly.

We think a lot of people are trying to visit the nation now, during this period of relative lull. We particularly are seeing many of the country counting community visiting this year.

We are organising a special set of trips for guests who are attending the Most Travelled People summit in Ethiopia in November, where I will also be hosting a talk.

Next year the country is scheduled to encounter elections, which naturally can create tensions, particularly in a place such as Somalia. Some people are picking this window now to see and tick off the nation.”

It comes as Somalia is going to great lengths to step out into the world and away from the shadows of conflict that have taken place over recent decades.

Somalia is working closely with Turkey to develop a space station and last year launched a Turkish made rocket into space. A Somali delegation also last month met with Chinese counterparts, to try and encourage investment opportunities in the nation and strengthen business ties.

The authorities hope a new e-visa and a simplified process, will help encourage more people to do business in Somalia. The capital, Mogadishu, is undergoing a property and construction boom, providing a valuable source of employment, following years of job shortages. At the same time the country is undergoing enormous financial reform, to try and improve its financial institutions.

The cultural side of the nation is also enjoying an element of recovery. In May a number of well-known African footballers participated in a charity football match in Somalia, to help boost the sport. Attendees included former Barcelona player Samuel Eto’o and former Premier League regulars, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jay-Jay Ockocha.

Meanwhile, extensive projects are underway to boost the creative sector, with poetry and film making schemes, aiming to inspire young people within the country.

Untamed Borders organises group trips to Somalia, with the next available departures to book with space in December this year and February 2025. The company also organises group trips to Djibouti and Somaliand and will take guests on a special group trip to Puntland in 2027, to watch the longest total solar eclipse, visible from land, in our life time.

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Source: breakingtravelnews.com