Gorillas Boost Rwanda’s Tourism
Rwanda is a country of varied contrasts, with the mountainous north covered by volcanic protrusions and dense jungles hosting the beautiful mountain gorillas, and the rest of the country covered by gentle valleys, countless rivers, lakes and savannah grasslands.
Rwanda experiences unprecedented interest in its primates by wildlife lovers from across the globe. It is home to around one third of the 700 mountain gorillas left in the world and for several decades now, the country has been at the forefront of gorilla conservation. The endangered mountain gorilla still survives in the Virunga Mountains, a mountain chain linking Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Gorillas play an essential role in contributing to the positive image of Rwanda and act as ambassadors on the international scene by raising the profile of the country. These gentle giants also contribute greatly to Rwanda’s tourism industry.
The industry is a fundamental engine for the growth of the national economy and is driven by the mountain gorillas which have been, and remain, the main attraction in Rwanda, brining in over 20,000 visitors to the country each year.
Rwanda has enthusiastically received thousands of international visitors and appreciates the revenues generated through gorilla tourism. This has enabled the country to earn $80 million from Tourism in half year, surpassing its $68 million target.
The strong performance was attributed to the increase in tourists visiting the country. In its mid-term evaluation report, the Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) says that a total of 408,482 tourists have been registered so far, which is a 3.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
Looking at a bigger picture Rwanda is now an eligible bird watching destination with research being conducted to boost birdwatching. Consultations to introduce new products such as a boat on Lake Kivu to step up water tourism, and establishing Cave tourism in Musanze, are underway
Rosette Rugamba, the Director General of ORTPN, attributes much of the success in the tourism sector to government’s support. “While we are very proud of these results, we are aware that this has been possible by the support we have got from our government,” she said.
“We must celebrate but remain cognizant of the challenge and need to continuously improve the experience of visiting and being in Rwanda,” she added.
Tourism is a pillar for rapid economic growth within Rwanda and in many other countries like Uganda. Therefore, there is need to combine forces and cooperation in protection and conservation of Natural assets, and communal participation in promoting tourism and its links conservation issues.
For those who want to do a Uganda birding safari, gorilla tours, primate safari and Rwanda safari
Tags: gorilla tour, rwanda tourism, uganda tourism