Netherlands: 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 MoreRwanda Woos German Tourists, Showcases at the ITB in Berlin
Rwanda is participating in this year’s edition of the International Tourism Board convention currently taking place in the German city of Berlin.
Known as the ITB Berlin 2015, the forum provides an excellent opportunity to showcase Rwanda’s numerous tourist attractions and network with business representatives in the tourism industry. The event has attracted over 180 countries and is expected to draw 110,000 visitors during the four days that it will be open.
The Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi said “Europe and Germany in particular, are key source markets for Rwanda so we are delighted to be exhibiting at ITB once again. With the development of new attractions and accommodation in Rwanda we have never been more confident of Rwanda’s potential to attract European visitors.”
To further celebrate Rwanda’s rich culture, the National Ballet of Rwanda will be participating in the exhibition’s closing ceremony on Sunday 8th March, performing music and traditional dances including the famous ‘Intore’ dance.
The Rwandan delegation is led by Rwanda Development Board. Exhibitors at the stand include the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda, Thousand Hills Expeditions, Primate Safaris, Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Wildlife Tours Rwanda, Nyungwe Top View Hotel and Amahoro Tours.
In addition to the renowned Mountain Gorilla, Rwanda is home to one fifth of the primate species in Africa. Also being showcases is the Akagera National Park, located just two hours from Kigali and is home to big game including elephants, buffalos, leopards, hippos, zebras and giraffes.
Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest is home to over 400 chimpanzees and East Africa’s only canopy walkway -70m high and 200m long- it provides an exhilarating chimp’s eye view of the trees. The forest also boasts one of the highest concentrations of birds in Africa, with over 700 species of bird, 27 of which are endemic to the Albertine rift.
Read MoreRwanda Woos Dutch Tourists, showcases at 2015 Vakantiebeurs exhibition in Utrecht
With Rwandan tourist properties registering increased global recognition, the Rwanda Development Board has moved to attract Dutch holiday makers and travelers by showcasing at the premier and high profile Vakantiebeurs; the largest tourism exhibition in the Benelux that took place in Utrecht at the Jaarbeurs Exhibition Centre.
Rwanda’s breathtaking tourist attraction sites were the highlight of the event. This included Nyungwe Forest Lodge that was recently recognized a top ten safari destination for 2015 by CNN Travel. Focus was on the Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park and the Nyungwe Forest Eco-Lodge that attract visitors to its luxurious location at the Gisakura tea estates.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, H.E. Jean Pierre Karabaranga said that participating in the Dutch tourism show was part of efforts to draw repeat and new travelers to the Land of a Thousand Hills.
“We are positioning Rwanda as a destination that is offers more than the famous Gorillas,” he added noting that in the six years that Rwanda had been participating in the annual show, the number of Dutch tourists to Rwanda increased six fold.
Rwanda, he added, is very accessible to Dutch tourists with the national airline is KLM serving Kigali five times a week.
Rwanda was among the 160 countries that participated at the Vakantiebeurs which also attracted over 1600 exhibitors. Access Rwanda Safaris and Amahoro Tours from Rwanda represented the country during the five-day event.
Amb Karabaranga said that the Rwandan team put up a marvelous display of the country’s unique tourism offering and showcased the wide range of tourism products available including its rich culture and exciting festivals.
He expressed confidence that the show will result in more Dutch tourists visiting Rwanda going by the past trends where arrivals from Netherlands registered a 22 per cent rise over six years. Overall the Vakantiebeurs tourism exhibition was a success for the Rwandan tourism industry who kept the stand very active holding meetings to generate new contracts and re-establish contacts with existing partners in the Netherlands.
Rwanda’s exhibition stand received many visitors who were entertained by Rwandan traditional dancers and were engaging in the lifetime offer to take a photo in Rwanda style for free and sharing it on the travel Rwanda Facebook page. Rwanda’s national carrier Rwandair is expected to reward three owners of photos with the most likes with a ticket to Rwanda.
Read MoreNyanza Organises New Cultural Festival
Rwanda’s tourism industry has continued to be diversified with the latest being the introduction of a cultural festival this Boxing day.
The Nyanza District, home to some of the country’s most impressive historical cultural sites from the former kingdom, has partnered with the National Institute for Museums and others to launch a culture festival held for the first time this year on Boxing Day, December 26.
Information received from Kigali confirms that the Rwesero Art Museum has been selected as the venue for the inaugural event which according to the source will become part of Rwanda’s annual calendar of festivals.
Traditional song, poetry, arts, and crafts, alongside traditional food preparations, will form the core of the various activities for the day, aimed to bring closer the country’s rich history to the present day generation.
The festival targets not only Rwandans but also visitors from Eastern Africa and foreign tourists who are in the country and have the opportunity to stop by and enjoy some of the performances.
Read More