Rwanda Travel & Adventure Show Attract 1000s in Los Angeles
Thousands of Los Angles people set all their eyes on Rwanda stand during the Rwanda Los Angeles-based travel and Adventure show. Rwanda built its reputation more in the U.S.A as a first choice destination in East Africa with variety to explore and discover.Los Angeles people showed love to Rwanda by visiting the country with 41% of Rwanda guests coming from USA a good reason for Rwanda development board to exhibit and market the destination even more to USA citizens.
Ms. Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer, also in charge of wildlife conservation at RDB, commented on the Rwandan participation when she said, “The USA is Rwanda’s number one source market with 41% of American visitors coming for leisure activities. The USA which ranks 2nd in terms of international spending on tourism according to UNWTO, represents an important pool of potential tourists to tap into as Rwanda grows its tourism offerings, mainly eco-adventure, Meetings and Conventions and cultural tourism.”. Indeed Rwanda is a magical tourism destination in Africa full of amazing landscape, forests, mountains, lakes, primates, birds and the friendly people.
With four national parks, besides the scenic shores of Lake Kivu along which the Congo Nile Trail extends for over 220 kilometers, Rwanda is offering adventure seekers a wide range of options, from gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking to cycling, hiking the Nyungwe Forest National Park, bird watching, and exploring the classic savannah safari in Akagera National Park. Culture is also on offer after several of the former Royal palaces and sites were restored, as is caving, a more recent addition to the menu of options for visitors.
During the exhibition show all Los Angeles people seemed to look up for this year a great reason for many Rwanda increased tourist arrivals from USA. However for over 10years tourism has been Rwanda’s top foreign-exchange earner, generating million in 2014 and currently the world famous for the best Africa gorilla tracking tours. Every year the number of tourists to volcanoes national park to see primates goes high despite the pricy Rwanda gorilla permit at $750.East Africa has a region has three gorilla tracking parks sited in different countries including Rwanda but still Rwanda gorilla tracking is outstanding in several ways.
Time factor is one of them, followed by manageable hikes plus easy connectivity to other region popular attractions like wildlife in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as other gorilla tracking parks. The Rwanda tourism board looks at the event as the base for showing the world what Rwanda has to offer in terms of travel and tourism. Rwanda noticed a growing travel trend through different travel exhibitions and more exhibitions are yet to be held in different countries across the globe.
After a good turn up of people in a particular trade show, Rwanda can proudly say that it has successfully reached out to the targeted audience in the travel industry. With the Los Angeles show now concluded, the Rwandan team is heading to Berlin next to attend ITB 2016 where the country is aiming to recapture the best African Stand award once again. Rwanda is connected by air from the United States through Brussels Airlines, KLM, Qatar Airways, and by Kenya Airways and a number of other airlines including, of course, national airline, Rwanda Air, from across Africa. The trade show will be attended by millions of travelers an indication for the successful travel industry in East Africa for Rwanda as a unique travel destination.
Read MoreRwanda Taps Asian Tourism Market
Rwanda’s foreign tourism growth shows that Rwanda is one of the most visited African countries by Asian tourists and fourteen thousand tourists visited Rwanda in 2015 a high population increase in just one year compared to four hundred tourists in 2014 according to Hindustan Times newspaper of India. The newspaper indicated that Rwanda was listed among the new countries that Indians are exploring each day for gorilla tracking tours and honeymoon holidays. Having an excellent travel conducive climate, favorable government travel policies and affordable tours contribute a lot to the momentous growth experience in Rwanda travel and tourism industry.
Besides the Rwanda Visa legislation is too flexible to most foreign nationals worldwide with an option of obtaining a tourist visa upon arrival at only $30. Also the launch of a single tourist visa for visitors to Uganda and Kenya which started in January 2014 attracts many tourists looking at a great wonderful Africa tour experience across the region. For those tourists who apply online, it’s easy because confirmation is received within 72 hours.
The conservation of mountain gorillas and other Rwanda attractions still draw many travelers to the country that comes to see and track gorillas in the wild. Famously known as the home for mountain gorillas, Rwanda offers exclusive gorilla tracking tours to travelers as its main tourist attraction in the region. Well planned annual gorilla naming events celebrated every year increase the conservation effort as well as boosting the tourism industry of the country. Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony presents the new generation of baby gorillas to the world and also ensures safety and contact monitoring of the gorillas being new members in the family of habituated gorilla families for tourists viewing daily. The habituated apes contribute a lot to the countries revenue thanks to Dian Fossey an American primatologist who worked tiresomely to conserve the endangered mountain gorillas which are now the main reason for 90% of both business and leisure travels to Rwanda. The rewarding mountain hikes and unique recorded bird species in different country corners make Rwanda settle for the best travel destination in Africa.
Kigali city the eye for all Rwanda international hotel chains offers fantastic hospitality services to all Rwanda travelers on short and long tours making them love Rwanda even more. The country capital has not only hotels but also part of the countries attractions, the genocide memorials, the main shopping centers and markets, bars& clubs, spas, art centers and gallery, cultural performance centers etc. Tourists like staying in sister hotels or chain hotels in every corner of the world because wish to have excellent same services of standard during tour holidays.
Examples of chain hotels in Kigali include Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot, Kempinski, Serena and many others are expected to emerge in other corners of the country soon. All travelers to Rwanda sleep comfortably at different hotels of their choice and budget leaving them to only discover the beautiful country up to the final day. Rwanda has other well facilitated lodges located next to different attractions especially the national parks which also cater for all travelers like Virunga lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Nyungwe hotel, Muhabura Guest House, Kinigi Guest House, etc. However, there is much more to do and explore in Rwanda which one can’t miss out while in Africa.
Read MoreA safari to remember in Rwanda
Many things make a Rwanda safari a memorable one but a magical encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas can’t be forgotten. I went with my wife on a gorilla safari to Rwanda after my friend who had got that chance some time back told me how magnificent it is to sit among the remaining gorilla in their natural habitat. I had doubt because I didn’t know that you can meet these look to be tough apes in a close distance. I sat with my wife and planned this safari ounce in a life time to Africa.
We planned to travel in December to have our christmas in the forests of volcanoes national park in Rwanda. We wrote to different tour and travel companies until we when we chose Rwanda gorilla expedition, they charged us a fair price we took a 4 day gorilla and Diane Fossey hike safari Rwanda. They have good people right from those working in office to the field guides, Mbazira our tour consultant was there to give us any informative information about gorillas and Rwanda in general before we started our safari.
As soon as we arrived at Kigali international airport our safari guide was their waiting for us to take us to our booked accommodation in Kigali, he briefed about the whole safari we, slept at frame tree Hotel, the following day we were pick up by our safari guide who took us for a Kigali city tour were we visited very many interesting places around the city like the genocide memorial, national museum, market places, we took lunch from one of the beautiful restaurant in the city after we drove up to our booked lodge in the volcanoes national park for refreshment and overnight(Le Bambou Lodge).
On the day of our scheduled tracking, we walked up every early for breakfast and then after our guide drove us to the park headquarters in kinigi where we met other trackers, we received briefings from the park wardens about the whole process of gorilla tracking/trekking and from here we got assigned to the different tracking groups . We were assigned to a gorilla group called kwitonda, we escorted the ranger guide to the forest, and everyone was excited about the activity. Our ranger guide was informative and he answered which ever question was asked and he gave us all necessary information on any species we met on the way during the search of our cousins.
Once we were about to meet these apes, the ranger guide alarmed us as he was in position to know where they are through their nest and dung he met after a long search. after a short while we met a group of gorillas with a dominant silverback which was sited on the ground critically looking at us eye to eye everyone was curious to have a close contact of a silverback, without a blink of an eye other members come around as if they were aware that we are coming.
The ranger was there to guide us as we spot these apes. We took as many photos as well we can while studding their behaviors. In fact the one hour allowed with these apes is not enough because I was still interested in watching them, but we had to leave and return back to the park headquarters, each received a certificate for participating in gorilla tracking.
Our guide drove us back to the lodge for relaxation as the evening was waiting us for a community walk, where we met the batwa pygmy whose men grow to up to 15inc, they performed us several activities including singing and dancing as well as teaching us their hunting skills. We come back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight, the night was full of memories of the day’s activities majorly the long life experience gorilla tracking. The next day was spent hiking the Diane grave yard; here we received more information about how she conducted her research on the gorillas for over 18 years before she was killed by the said poachers.
Our stay in Rwanda was a short-lived although we enjoyed a lot, next time we are planning a longer safari than that one we took, we are thinking of doing Uganda and Rwanda hope it will be more fantastic.
Read MoreNetherlands: Rwanda at 2016 Vakantiebeurs Tourism Exhibition
For the 7th time Rwanda is showcasing its marvelous tourist attractions at the Vakantiebeurs tourism exhibition, the largest tourism exhibition in the Benelux taking place this week until Sunday 17 January in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The exhibition kicked off on Tuesday with a trade day for the Dutch travel industry and travel media and at the official opening with many VIPs the audience was impressed by a performance of Rwandan cultural dancers, who will continue entertaining visitors in front of the Rwanda stand and on stage in the Africa hall.
After the opening Rwanda’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E. Jean Pierre Karabaranga, invited Mayor Van Zanen of Utrecht to the Rwanda stand to discover the tourism opportunities in the land of a thousand hills. They made a photo at the Rwanda photo booth for visitors to take souvenir photos in the Rwanda landscape.
Ambassador Karabaranga said that he noticed a remarkable growth in interest and enthusiasm of Dutch tour operators:
‘Tour operators specialized in Africa are extending their product offer and are offering Rwanda as a ’standalone’ destination. Some, like AV Tours & Safari and All for Nature Travel, told me that they were grateful for the invitation from the Rwanda Development Board to attend Kwita Izina and discover Rwanda in September 2015. This trip showed them that Rwanda’s tourism is very diversified and is much more than gorilla tracking only’.
‘Inviting tour operators and travel journalists is the best way to achieve the remarkable progress and the Embassy is working closely with the Rwanda Development Board to continue those media and tour operator familiarization trips in 2016’, said Ambassador Karabaranga.
Rwanda is among the 160 countries that participated at the Vakantiebeurs which also attracts more than 125,000 visitors. Amahoro Tours, Great Seasons Hotel Kigali, Mountain Gorilla Safaris and Wildlife Tours Rwanda are represented during the six-day event.
During the consumer days Rwanda’s exhibition stand is receiving many visitors who are enjoying Rwandan coffee and tea, and entertained by Rwandan traditional dancers. They are engaging in the lifetime offer to take a photo in Rwanda style for free and sharing it on the travel Rwanda Facebook page.
Related stories published:
AV Tours: http://avtours.nl/individuele-rondreizen-afrika/rwanda/
Travel Trend: http://www.traveltrend.nl/reviews/gorilla-trekking-in-rwanda/?bestemming
All for Nature Travel: http://www.allfornature.nl/reizen/rwanda-ultimate-wildlife-safari/
Jambo Safari Club: http://www.jambo.nl/Rwanda_-_NIEUW_846.html
Droomplekken: http://www.droomplekken.nl/specials/rwanda-land-van-de-berggorillas.html
Read MoreRwanda Woos the Swedish Tourism Market
Rwanda’s participation in the 2015 TUR Travel Fair in Stockholm will help grow the number of tourists from the wealthy Nordic state, Ambassador Christine Nkulikiyinka said at the close of the fair today.
The travel fair, held at the Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre in downtown Stockholm attracted tour and travel industry professionals as well as buyers.
A combination of high wages, intractable weather and long paid holidays make Nordic Countries one of the world’s leading per capita sources of tourists.
“Rwanda has everything Africa has to offer in one country. From mountains for hikers, Savannah wildlife for safari enthusiasts to rain forests for nature and bird lovers,” Ambassador Nkulikiyinka told visitors to the fair at an event hosted by Rwanda.
A Stockholm-based Rwandan cultural troupe—Imanzi was on hand to entertain guests on Saturday afternoon.
Among the speakers was Erika Lejon Flodin, a student at Sweden’s Uppsala University, who narrated her experience travelling and living in Rwanda over a six-week period.
“Rwanda combines breathtaking landscapes, vegetation wildlife and—importantly for me—a very safe atmosphere”, she said in a public talk during Rwanda’s time slot on the travel fair stage.
RDB’s Marketing Manager for Tourism and Conservation, Linda Mutesi highlighted the different attractions on offer in Rwanda. She also met several tour operators offering Rwanda as a destination as well as potential partners.
Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia are home to many avid hikers—a demographic that would find Rwanda’s landscape, favorable climate and safety particularly appealing.
Thousands of visitors attended the two-day travel fair which was taking place in Stockholm for the first time.
Read MoreRwanda’s Ntarama & Gisozi Genocide on TripAdvisor Africa’s Landmark 2015
The Trip Advisor recently identified “the Top 25 Land Marks of Africa”, in which it named The Kigali Genocide Memorial Site and The Ntarama Church Genocide Memorial Site, all in the Busegera district of Rwanda. These memorial sites do explain the happenings of The 1994 Rwanda Genocide between the Tutsi and Hutu that claimed thousands of lives of women, men and children of Rwanda. This Genocide is recorded as one of the worst massacres in the African history.
These two of the 25 identified landmarks of Africa, are some of the places most frequented by travellers as acknowledged by The Trip Advisor.These sites clearly bring out Rwanda’s progress economically, socially and politically for the past 21 years since the occurrence of the 1994 Genocide for they display her previous political unrest and the current condition.Apart from these two Genocide Memorial Sites, Rwanda, a country covered in beautiful hills provides its travellers with various attractions and activities which include among others; waterfall tours, chimpanzee and golden monkeys treks, volcano hikes, the country’s famed gorilla treks, cave tours, birding, game safaris, art exhibits, and community and cultural nature walks & experiences.
“It is such an honor to have two of our historic / memorial sites included on the list of Trip Advisor’s landmarks,” says Ambassador YaminaKaritanyi, The Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board. And for this, We encourage our visitors to experience all of Rwanda’s Scenic Beauty, be it art, history, dining as well as her rich nature and wildlife viewing.”The Kigali Genocide Memorial Site takes up the tenth position (10) on The Trip Advisor’s list. It is known as an education center and was opened in April 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
A $15 audio guide tour takes visitors through the museum where they hear survivor accounts of the events of the Genocide. Entrance without an audio guide is free. In addition to the history of the Genocide, the exhibit educates patrons on the global history of mass atrocity. Visitors are encouraged to make a donation in exchange for a rose, which can be left in honor of the victims of the Genocide. Honore Gatera, Manager remarked that “The Kigali Genocide Memorial Site is an important place of remembrance and learning. As the final resting place for more than 259,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi, the site provides a place for families and friends to remember their loved ones. We welcome visitors from around the world to learn about the Genocide so that it never happens again, in Rwanda or elsewhere.”
The Ntarama Church Genocide Memorial Site occupies the twelfth position on Trip Advisor’s list. It is a former church sometimes referred to as “The Ntarama Church Massacre”. At this place, about 5000 people died with majority being women. You find the remains lined up along the walls of the former church with several remains piled up in the shelves and bringing out what happened exactly. All these were a result of an ethnic conflict between the Tutsi and Hutu. The victims at this church too had reached the church for safety but instead were slaughtered by the angry Hutu mob.A tour guide is usually present to take visitors through the church and Sunday school building while explaining more about this horrific experience of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.
NOTE
There is no fee to visit the museum or take part in the tour, but a donation is encouraged.Dr. Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, President of Ibuka (The umbrella association for Genocide survivor organizations in Rwanda), quoted that “Twenty-one years after the 1994 Rwanda Genocide against the Tutsi, survivors continue to rebuild their lives in a country at peace. Memorials across Rwanda help us to preserve the memory of those killed and ensure the world never forgets what happened here,”
The Trip Advisor only identifies two of the various tourist attractions and activities offered by Rwanda. Anyone taking a safari in Rwanda can be able to enjoy her natural beautiful scenic view, historical / memorial sites, volcanoe hiking and cycling, wildlife and primates safaris, mountain gorilla / golden monkeys/ colobus monkeys treks, waterfall tours, forest visits and camps, birding and so many other exciting tour activities and services. All these make the country, Rwanda a top destination for world travelers.
Read MoreFinally Akagera Lions See Light
As the hot August Sun rays pierced through thicket bushes of the Akagera national Park striking the red blooded waterbuck carcass placed outside the boma, the kings of the jungle were warming up to enjoy their freedom of the new home.
The seven lions that were introduced to Akagera national park from South Africa recently but kept under a quarantined Boma were finally realized to enjoy their freedom in the bushes of the country national park.
The lions that have made the longest wild lion translocation in conservation history that took over 45 hours are the first to roam in the Akagera national park almost after fifteen years; the kings of the jungle faced their extinction from the park.
The first female poked her nose out of the gates within a few minutes, closely followed by three other females who looked around curiously, unconvinced about their new found freedom, before feasting on the carcass,” said Sarah Hall, Tourism and Marketing Manager, Akagera National Park.
But two males which seemed more cautious as Sarah explains did not come out while the park and press vehicles were still around.
According to park officials, the seven lions are a ten-year-old mother and her one-year-old daughter, a single five-year-old female and two three-year-old sisters while the males are three and four years old and are unrelated.
“The lions have been fed every two-to-three days, mainly on impala carcasses, and will now hunt for their own food,” Sarah explained.
Accordingly, the seven lions are fitted with satellite collars to allow their easy tracking of their movement, their bondage and see whether they are adjusting to the new environment.
The lions as Amb. Yamina Karitanyi, the chief tourism officer at Rwanda Development Board-RDB, explains will contribute towards conservation of the Park while also increasing d tourism attractions of the country.
“Tourists now have the opportunity to see the lions in the wilderness of Akagera, as previously viewing were restricted to park personnel who had been monitoring the lions in the boma,” she said.
The park authorities and the Rwanda Development board are planning a naming ceremony of the lions which will make the lions the second animals to be named in a colorful ceremony after the Guerillas whose young ones are named every year.
Read More18 Baby Mountain Gorillas Named at 2015 Kwita Izina
Rwanda celebrated the birth of 18 baby gorillas at the 10th anniversary of Kwita Izina. The annual naming ceremony of the rare mountain gorillas took place on July 3rd 2015 at the slopes of Volcanoes National Park at Kinigi in the north western part of Rwanda. More than 40,000 residents from Rwanda and visitors from the entire world attended the ceremony.
Every year Rwanda organize this event as a way of naming new born mountain gorillas. The country also uses the annual event to promote tourism and this year’s Kwita Izina was held under the theme: “A Decade: Conserving-Empowering-Growing.”
As he was speaking during the event, Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza Rwanda Development Board (RDB)’ CEO said: “this is the 10th time as we celebrate, the growth of the gorilla family by naming 18 baby gorillas born over the last year. This is a very big number as compared to previous years, bringing the total population of these rare species to over 600 individuals in the Virunga Mountains.” He added by thanking the good collaboration by the government of Rwanda, the local community neighboring the park and conservation partners that are the key people in the increase of these endangered mountain gorillas.
In a special way Rugwabiza thanked the local communities in the sustained conservation of the Volcanoes National Park especially the protection of the gorillas and their habitat without their effort to stop poaching activities gorillas would be no more in the volcanoes tropical forest.
Various activities were organized to mark the 10th Kwita Izina ceremony including conservation, business, cultural and entertainment that led up to the big day. There was also the launch of Basumba Primary School in Bigogwe, Nyabihu District in the northern part of Rwanda. The school was constructed by the local community surrounding the park from the shared revenue scheme which gives 5% of tourism profits from the national park to the local community and the school contains six classrooms.
Craig Sholley the Vice president of philanthropy and marketing for the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) was invited on behalf of (AWF) to vote on the gorilla names, during his speech he said “You cannot succeed in conserving these critically endangered species without the collaboration and support of the people who live closest to them, without their effort the life of these mountain gorillas is in danger. “The Kwita Izina ceremony shows that, from the government to the local communities, protection of mountain gorillas stems from a sense of duty and a source of pride,” he said.
About 120 local and international tour operators was part of the ceremony and they came to experience Rwanda and took park in business-to-business meetings organized with Rwanda Air. Also the Kwita Izina guests joined in Global Umuganda (community work) in Nyamata. They also partook in the Igitaramo, a community celebration with residents in Kinigi, Musanze district at which local artist Jay Polly performed. In the past nine years since the event was established, 161 gorillas have been named in a celebration of nature and the communities who protect the majestic mountain gorilla.
Read MoreSeven Lions to be Re-introduced to Akagera National Park
African Parks in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board will translocate seven lions from South Africa to re-introduce the species into Akagera National Park in Rwanda. The re-introduction of lions to Rwanda is a ground-breaking conservation effort for both the park and the country.
The group of lions destined for Akagera includes five females that have been donated by &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and two males that have been donated by Tembe Elephant Reserve, an Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife protected area. Located in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, both are relatively small, confined reserves where it is necessary to occasionally move surplus lions to avoid overpopulation.
In the prime of their lives, the lions have been selected based on future reproductive potential and their ability to contribute to social cohesion – young adults, sub-adult females, young adult males with different genetics – and associations such as adult female with sub-adult female and adult male coalitions. The lions have already been captured and are being held in bomas on Phinda and on Tembe.
On 29 June they will be tranquilised, placed in individual slatted, pen-crates and loaded onto trucks for their journey to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. They will all be fitted with satellite collars, which will enable the Akagera National Park management team to monitor their movements and reduce the risk of the lions entering community areas. As an additional precautionary measure, the park fence has been predator-proofed.
On arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg the seven lions will be immediately loaded onto a charter flight and flown to the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, from where they will be transported by road to Akagera National Park. The entire journey is expected to take 36 hours. They will be accompanied and continually monitored by a veterinary team with experience in translocations.
On arrival in Akagera National Park, they will be placed in a specially constructed 1,000m² boma in the north of the park. Split into two separate enclosures, the perimeter features a three-metre high, chain-linked electrified fence. A water reserve has been constructed within the boma and the lions will be fed game meat while in the enclosure. They will be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days, during which they will be continually monitored, before being released into the wilderness of the park.
“The return of lions to Akagera is a conservation milestone for the park and the country,” said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks. “Restoring national parks to their former biodiversity state is a key deliverable of the African Parks conservation model and we, in conjunction with our government partner, the Rwanda Development Board, are delighted to have been able to re-introduce one of the most charismatic species to this beautiful national park.”
Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi, the Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board said, “It is a breakthrough in the rehabilitation of the park under the public private partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. The return of lions will encourage the natural balance of the ecosystem. Rwandans and visitors will now have the chance to see one of Africa’s ‘Big Five’ animals in one of the continent’s most diverse national parks, cementing Rwanda’s status as conservation focused, all-in-one safari destination.”
African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board are grateful to our sponsors including Turbo King from the Bralirwa portfolio, which is generously supporting the return of lions to the country.
The lions are due to arrive in Rwanda on 30 June 2015.
Media Resources
Photos of the seven lions to be translocated from South Africa to Akagera National Park in Rwanda are available for use by media (with appropriate credits) on the Rwanda Development Board Flickr Account. Photos of the translocation process and reintroduction to Akagera will be posted on this account for use by media as soon as they are available.
Stay Updated
Follow @AkageraPark, @RDBrwanda and @TravelRwanda on Twitter for the latest updates of the journey from South Africa to Rwanda and the reintroduction to Akagera National Park.
Read MoreRwanda’s Tourism Sector Grabbed Massive Americans 2014
The United States is the largest contributor to Rwanda’s tourism revenues, accounting for 20% of the total revenue.
The immigration office says 1,220,000 visitors were received in 2014, compared to 1,122,000 visitors hosted in 2013, corresponding to a 9% increase (98,000 visitors).
In 2014, of the total number of visitors, 24,488 were Americans, followed by India with 13,008 visitors, then United Kingdom with 12,320, Belgium with 8,733, and 8,228 Germans on the fifth spot.
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) says the country generated$304.9 million in 2014 from tourism, compared to$293.6 million in 2013, representing an increase of 4%. These revenues increased from $62 million in 2000.
Apart from being the safest spot for vacation in Africa, wildlife sight-seeing, especially gorilla and bird watching, and conferences draw the biggest portion of the revenues. The country hosted 19,085 conference visitors, compared to 15,441 in 2013, earning $29 million.
Georgianne Nienaber, an American author and regular visitor to Rwandatold KTPress that “Americans realize thatRwanda is one of the safest places to vacation in Africa. More and more tourists will come.”
Tourists enjoy the variety of landscapes, the other wildlife, and especially the birds, Nienaber says. “Americans are big bird enthusiasts.”
Payments for gorilla permits accounted for 70% of this year’s tourism revenues worth$213.43 million, RDB says. A foreigner pays $750 to visit mountain gorillas.
Being home to two thirds of the world’s mountain gorillas aggressive conservation efforts in the last 10 years have helped breed 179 mountain gorilla infants, usually cerebrated and given names during the Kwita Izina ceremonies, inspired by the Rwandan baby naming tradition following the birth of a new baby.
Global figures such as Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Rick Warren have participated in the event. Last year, over 500 international guests participated.
Meanwhile, the country targets generating $860 million from tourism by 2016, but analysts say the target is a little too ambitious and may not be attained due to different shortfalls, especially in the quality of services.
“When you look at Rwanda’s tourism growth in a regional perspective, a lot needs to be done,” said Joseph Opondo, a lecturer at Rwanda Tourism University.
“There should be more efforts in improving services like hospitality in different sectors of this country,” he said.
Read More