Category: Tourism

{{Miss Mauritius World Nathalie Lesage has expressed excitement at her visit to Rwanda where she had come to visit her relative Mélissa who lives in Rwanda.}}

Nathalie was overwhelmed by the level of peace and unity in Rwanda saying it was interesting for her to meet new people and honoured by the way she was treated.

The beauty queen also said she enoyed taking a ride on a motorcycle taxi which she said was such a great experience.

She also noted there is very orderly traffic in Rwanda where motorists exhibit high level of discipline on the roads.

Nathalie also visited the countryside where she came observed the livelihoods in the rural side especially seeing citizens working in their gardens and returning home with harvests with their children.

She also was surprised about the tidy and neat roads and wondered how possible it is that citizens do the cleaning every end of month…’it’s a surprise’ she noted adding that her visit to Rwanda will be unforgetable.

South African Tourism will open an office in Nairobi next year in a bid to attract more tourists from East Africa.

The office will cater to Kenya as a key base while targeting increasing arrivals from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.

“The large regional market potential suggests the need to establish a presence in the market rapidly,” said Phumi Ndlomo, South African Tourism director for domestic, Africa and Middle East.

He said Nairobi’s reputation as an African commerce, trade and development hub had made it a strategic location for South African Tourism to establish its regional headquarters.”

{{Tourism revenues have increased by 11% this year generating over US$ 128 Million of the first semester compared to US$ 115.6 Million fetched in the same period in 2011.}}

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has said in a statement that it wishes to inform and reassure tourists and the business community that it is safe to travel to the Volcanoes National Park in Northern Rwanda despite the on-going conflict in the neighbouring country of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rica Rwigamba, Head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB said that Rwanda’s tourism progress is attributed to peace and security: “Visitor safety is guaranteed as usual. We would like to reassure visitors to Rwanda that it is business as usual here and that it is extremely safe and secure to travel to and within the country.

In addition to the all-in-one experience in Rwanda from diverse wildlife in the national parks, to the magnificent scenery, amazing climate and the rare mountain gorillas; peace and security continues to be a magnetic pool for visitors in Rwanda.”

Rwanda also hosted an estimate of 493,744 visitors in the first semester 2012 corresponding to an increase of 22% compared to 2011 in the same period and recorded a remarkable 16% increase in leisure visitors as well as an 8% increase in business visitors.

In terms of investment promotion, in the first semester only (January to June), the Tourism sector has so far registered projects worth US$ 184.1m. These projects are expected to create 1,328 jobs.

Rica Rwigamba, Head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB said that “There was a noticeable increase in revenues, visits and value of registered tourism investments as well as projected jobs created in the first semester.

We believe that if we continue to achieve as reflected by the results in the first semester, we will indeed surpass our targets and more importantly, this will drive growth and generate wealth for Rwandans.”

Rwanda’s tourism and conservation efforts are also reflected in the commitment to the contribution towards the communities’ welfare under the revenue sharing framework, RDB recently increased the price of gorilla permits to US$750 which will consequently also increase the contribution to the communities as well as the activities in conservation.

Indeed, Rwanda places conservation and community development at the core of the sustainable tourism agenda.

In addition to the current room capacity of more than 6500 today, the government is encouraging more investment in accommodation facilities, hotels and restaurants in order to match the ever increasing visitors’ number.

Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner with US$251 Million earned in 2011.

{{Congolese Mai Mai militia have began targeting wildlife killing about 200 Elephants in a period of only two weeks.}}

The Civil society in Mambassa, 168 kilometers south of Bunia in Ituri (Orientale Province), July 30 accused the Mai Mai militia of exterminating the elephants in the wildlife area in two weeks.

Sources told local Congolese media that the militiamen shot down two hundred elephants in the space of two weeks.

Mangala Martin the president of the civil society of Mambassa, says that elephant poaching is taking place in the villages of Bandisende, Mamopi, Salate, Badengaido, Nduye and others.

“Two hundred elephants in two weeks is a real danger for the elephants,” complains Martin Mangala, accusing and some local leaders of complicity.

The militiamen illegally exploit gold in the chiefdoms of Walese Karo Bandaka and Bombo.

This information has been confirmed by officials of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN).

ICCN partners complain that the World Heritage has become the place of exploitation of precious materials, poaching and logging.

{{Students from the Akilah Women’s Institute will be among the first to benefit from the opening of the Kigali Marriott Hotel next year, with free training in Marriott’s GCC hotels.}}

The first group of 14 graduates will begin their training in September, with small groups attending three of Marriott International’s top class hotels for nine months to a year, learning a range of skills that will prepare them for guaranteed jobs in the new Rwanda hotel.

Gary Dodds, VP HR Marriott International Middle East & Africa, said the company was keen to contribute to the community by playing a part in its human capital development.

“We not only wanted to source local staff for our first hotel in East Africa but also to implement our Spirit to Serve programme. Akilah Women’s Institute enables us to achieve that by connecting us with deserving students who are educated and eager to make a difference to their lives and their country’s future development,” said Mr Dodds.

The students’ training would include learning about the core values of Marriott, experiencing the company culture and undertaking essential supervisory skills so that when they return to Kigali pre-opening, they could help train their peers being hired for the hotel, he said.

Akilah Women’s Institute executive director, Lisa Martilotta, welcomed the company’s commitment to employing Rwandan locals.

“We’re thrilled with the opportunities the partnership represents for our graduates to extend their skills and achieve their potential in the world class context of Marriott’s first East Africa hotel.

I’m confident they will rise to the challenge and become an inspiration for other Rwandan students,” Ms Martilotta said.

Training will be at no cost to the students. New Century Development Ltd., owners of the Kigali Marriott Hotel, gained sponsorship for the students’ return air tickets courtesy of Rwanda Air’s chairman and each trainee will also get an allowance of AED 1000 per month, plus accommodation, meals and uniform.

A ‘mother’ figure will be appointed at each hotel hosting Akilah Women’s Institute students to support them in the transition into their new training roles and guide their development.

Students will also be able to keep in touch with each other through conference calls and social gatherings while they are away.

The training is just the start of an ongoing programme offering development opportunities to Rwandan nationals.

It’s anticipated a total of 250 local jobs will be created through the opening of the 254-room Kigali Marriott Hotel in 2013.

Marriott is the first international hotel company to go into Rwanda. It currently operates 3800 hotels globally, employing 160,000 employees.

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA with more than 3,700 properties in 73 countries and territories and reported revenues of over $12 billion in fiscal year 2011.

{{Masai warriors of Kenya have reportedly fled to Tanzania after they killed six lions in the night of Wednesday.}}

The lions had allegedly strayed from the Nairobi National Park into a home in Ilkeek-Lemedungi Village, Kitengela killing 28 sheep and goats.

The battle between the Lions and Massai warriors lasted about five hours.

One warriors arm was mauled by a lion during the fearce battle. Two lions managed to escape.

When the Lions attcked a home, the livestock owner raised an alarm and about 50 young men turned up with spears, pangas and swords.

Others came in vehicles and used full lights to herd the eight stray lions into a miniature tomb where the warriors butchered them.

The massai warriors are known to be fearless normads who have traditionally fended off Lions attacking their livestock.

Witnesses said three armed Kenya Wildlife Service game wardens arrived at 3am and for about an hour, they prevailed in vain on the warriors not to kill the animals.

The warriors grew restless waiting for game wardens, veterinary officers with every passing second, and turned on the animals in what they said was “Operation Linda Ng’ombe”.

“We killed them in less than 10 minutes because game wardens were slow to act. Why do they (lions) kill our animals and they are our only source of livelihood?” asked a resident who refused to give his name for fear of reprisals.

The warriors vowed to kill more lions until the government fenced off the park and compensated them for losses running into millions of shillings.

{{In 2005, a Family of Congolese Mountain gorillas migrated to Rwanda and settled in the Volcanoes National Park.

There has since been an agreement between the two countries to share revenues generated from visits made to families of mountain gorillas that switch residence.}}

Over the weekend the international conservation community marked the ceremony of naming nineteen baby gorillas at Kinigi in Rwanda.

Rwanda thus gave half of the revenues generated from visits made to the family of Congolese mountain gorillas that migrated to Rwanda.

According to Dr. Augustine Kanyunyi, acting director of the International Gorilla Conservation, a family of twenty-three gorillas had migrated to Rwanda in the Volcanoes National Park since 2005.

“We had an arrangement so that the income generated from tourism this family be shared equally between the DRC and Rwanda,” he said adding that each tourist pays U.S. $ 500 for a family visit gorillas.

The same source says that these gorillas are visited every day. But the total amount of the sum has not been reassigned revealed.

A census conducted in 2010 jointly by the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda in the Virunga Massif, the gorilla population there would be 480 individuals (against 380 in the previous census in 2003). This group will add about 300 mountain gorillas of Bwindi Forest.

But since the early clashes between the Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group in the area of Jomba, in Rutshuru (North Kivu), the mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park have been exposed to crossfire of the warring parties.

According to the director of the park on the DRCongo side, Emmanuel de Merode, it is two hundred gorillas are threatened. This would have suspended tourism which had already begun to grow in the park.

{{Rwanda’s 2012 gorilla naming ceremony scheduled on 16th June 2012 will attract thousands of people from different parts of the world.}}

Under the theme “Sustainable tourism for a green economy”, the ceremony aims at recognizing conservation efforts by local communities.

Expected at the Kwita Iziana ceremony include the chairman of International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

A series of accompanying events have been organized including; 3Km marathon, schools soccer, tennis, cycling and music performances.

Kwita Izina ceremony is a platform to create awareness about protection of the remaining wild mountain gorillas as well as the conservation of Parc National Du Volcan (PNV).

The Head of Department Tourism and Conservation at RDB, Rica Rwigamba says that since 2005, about 141 mountain gorillas have been named.

In a census conducted in April 2010 showed a 26.3% increase of the mountain gorillas over the past seven years, with an average 3.7% annual growth rate.

Rwigamba explains that the population of mountain gorillas is approximately 800. However, there are over 480 gorillas on the Rwandan side.

Between 2005 and 2011, over Frw1.4 Billion has been expended to support local communities especially improving local infrastructure, water access, schools and handcraft among others.

Growth in tourism revenues would not be possible without the protection of mountain gorillas and conservation of their habitat.

The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a new grassroots travel & tourism coalition of global destinations committed to Quality Service & Green Growth.

Rwigamba has also assured the public that the Gorillas are safe in their habitat on the Rwandan side despite the ongoing war in the DRCongo.
Early May a Congolese rebel group M23 entered the gorillas’ habitat and set up an operating base at Runyoni, a strategic peak in the Rutshuru territory.

Gun fire, rockets, mortars and anti-aircraft guns are fired towards Virunga park.

However, Rwigamba explains that the damage caused by the war in DRC has not been assessed because Rwandan side does not deploy beyond the boundary although before the uprising, park authorities from both sides conducted joint patrols.

Rwigamba cautions tourists infected with flu and cough not to get any closer to the mountain gorillas, “anybody found sick of cough and flu will be denied access to the gorillas and will be refunded”.

Responding to querries about Poaching , Rwigamba explained that the vice has tremendously dropped since 2005 in the Virunga Park. Most of the former poachers are currently engaged in income generating activities and have since dropped poaching activities.

ICTP is a new grassroots travel & tourism coalition of global destinations committed to Quality Service & Green Growth.

The Department of tourism and conservation at RDB is also working closely with East African tourism platform, Association of Hotels in the region and regional media in a bid to make the Kwita Izina Ceremony a regional concept.

{{President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Zambias leader Michael Sata have been honoured by the UN’s World Tourism Organisation, when they signed an agreement in the no-man’s-land on Victoria Falls Bridge.}}

The agreement will see the two countries co-host the UNWTO general assembly in August next year.

It is not a formal position, although the UNWTO said Mugabe would receive an open letter like other heads of state who have joined its tourism campaign.

Taleb Rifai, secretary general of UNWTO, said: “By coming here, it is recognition, an endorsement on Zimbabwe that it is a safe destination.”
However, the move has been criticised by political opponents.

Kumbi Muchemwa, a spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said, “Mugabe is under international sanctions. How do you have an international tourism ambassador who can’t travel to other countries?
Mugabe’s spokesman Rugare Gumbo said that the “situation on the ground in Zimbabwe is not as bad as portrayed”.

Mugabe and his aides are subject to an EU travel ban that prevents him from travelling to EU countries.

Navi Pillay, the UN human rights chief, last week urged Western countries to suspend sanctions against Mugabe and his close aides to give Zimbabwe a chance to implement much needed reforms.

“I would urge those countries that are currently applying sanctions on Zimbabwe to suspend them, at least until the conduct of the elections and related reforms are clear,” she said in Harare after a five-day visit.

“Sanctions should be entirely suspended for people to entirely focus on economic issues that need to be addressed.”

{{Mountain gorillas at Virunga Mountains are at risk following the current war in eastern DR Congo.}}

According to Emmanuel de Merode the director of the Virunga Park, the mountain gorillas are the star tourist attractions “but since the fighting broke out on May 15, the tourists stopped coming”.

The virunga mountain park is shared between Rwanda, Uganda and the DRCongo. This place is a natural habitat for the mountain gorillas.

Most affected is the area of the Virunga mountains overlooking the towns of Jomba and Bunagana close to the Uganda border which are home to 200 of the endangered primates.

The ongoing fighting is reportedly between DRC forces and rebels of the M23 rebel movement. Thousands of Congolese have been displaced, especially in the Rutshuru district of North Kivu province.

The park director said three out of five patrol sectors affected by the fighting have been evacuated leaving the gorillas without care and exposed to the crossfire of the belligerents.

The Virunga Park – formerly known as Albert national park – was created in 1925 during colonial rule and is famous worldwide as one of the very few remaining refuges of the mountain gorilla.

However, since 1996, the park has also been home to various armed groups behind the instability in eastern DR Congo.

Some of the human intruders have not shied off from killing the apes for commercial purposes.