Category: Tourism

(KT Press)-Rwanda tourism revenues increased from $293m in 2013, to $303m in 2014, representing a 3% increase, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) says.

Between July 2013 and June 2014, Rwanda received 1.17 million visitors, compared to the previous year with 1.14 million tourists.

RDB targets hitting $860m mark by 2016. However, experts warn that the target is 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 in different sectors of this country.”

Opondo said that this is because Rwanda has a few tourism institutions that cannot produce professionals that satisfy services in this growing economy.

But RDB says a number of initiatives such as Meetings, Incentives, Conferences (MICE), new tourism products including Religious Tourism, Caves Tourism in Rwanda’s Northern Province, are vital tools for increasing tourism revenues.

The country is also investing in tourism marketing on the regional and international level, with liaison offices in various countries.

Rwanda was recently named a ‘must see destination’ by CNN Fodor’s Travel.

To push the sector growth, since 2013, nationals of all African countries traveling to or transiting through Rwanda are issued entry visa upon arrival at any Rwandan entry point.

Moses Rutayisire, the Coordinator of Tourism Chamber at Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) told KTPress that there are three projects; Kalisimbi cable car on Kalisimbi Mountain, Lake Kivu boat services and a cultural village that will generate huge volumes in the next few years.

Once Kalisimbi cable car services are in place by 2017, this could increase tourism revenues from mountain gorilla trekking.

Rwanda’s tourism has risen astoundingly in past decade, growing from $62m in 2000, to the current figures, with Gorilla permits counting for the largest portion.

A war of words is now underway between Tanzania and Kenya over the ban for Tanzanian-registered tour vehicles to access Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). One of the battlefields is the social media scene where Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu, added fuel to the fire when he accused his Kenyan counterpart, Phyllis Kandie, of lacking wisdom and a sense of diplomacy after she restored the ban last week.

The two protagonists, to the bewilderment and in some parts sheer exasperation by other East African Community member states, have been having a go at each other since Kenya imposed the ban first in mid-December. Nyalandu then rushed to Nairobi for urgent talks which took place on January 16, which, while not conclusive, achieved two things: For one, the ban was lifted the following day, and secondly, it was agreed to meet in Arusha on February 5 for further talks, at which stage both delegations would bring with them a wish list and a list of grievances.

Tanzania though pulled out of the talks at short notice, informing their Kenyan counterparts with barely a few days to spare, that they were postponing the talks by a further few weeks to “more widely consult with stakeholders.” This explanation was promptly rejected by Kenyan officials who blamed their Tanzanian counterparts of stalling and delaying coming to the table and being finally compelled to face reality.

“Fact is that the 1985 accord gives Tanzania a lot of advantages, like their safari operators are able to drop off their clients at literally any town or city in Kenya. We in turn have only a handful of points where we can drop off our clients. It is true that they have collected and dropped off clients at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for a long time, but this was not provided for in the 1985 accord. It was, if you want to put it that way, a gesture of goodwill from us. Last year, it was agreed that the 30-year-old agreement be looked at afresh, and when the time ran out in December, Kenya then implemented it fully, just like they do in Tanzania. After the January meeting, they got a further grace period of 3 weeks and wasted the opportunity. If anyone should spit fire it is us, because Nyalandu is politicking ahead of their elections. He is big-talking for his electorate how he is dealing with these Kenyans, but it bit him in the behind. His lame attempt on Twitter to shift the blame is entirely baseless. It was him who postponed the talks. Let him come to the table and we shall discuss. This is not for Twitter or social media but for a conference room. Let him calm down first, because his attitude shown on Twitter is not fit for a bilateral meeting but only fit for bar talk,” ranted one of this correspondent’s regular Nairobi-based sources when asked to comment on the Twitter spat between the two ministers.

It is not the first time that Nyalandu is evading issues. This correspondent at the ATA Conference last year in Munyonyo, Kampala attempted to speak to the Minister, who when learning who he was facing said that he would be available later during the conference only to fly back the next morning to Dar es Salaam.

Reactions from Tanzania were mixed with cooler heads pleading for the tension to be defused and a date set immediately for a meeting in Arusha for the two ministers and their delegations. Other more hot-headed individuals displayed the proverbial rabid foam dripping from their mouths when they let fly, with one source, not wishing to be named, not just throwing fuel into the fire but explosives: “These Kenyans will see us. For how many years have we accessed JKIA, and there was never an issue. Now they first ban our airline from flying to Nairobi [reference is made here to the denial of landing rights for Fastjet for the Dar es Salaam to Nairobi route] and now they ban our vehicles also. They keep accusing us to fear competition, but it is increasingly clear who fears whom now.

“Zanzibar is running away with tourist arrivals, more charters than Mombasa, and nonstop flights from even South Africa. They are purely envious of our success and that we caught up with them. Our numbers have gone up, and our per capita revenues by far exceed Kenya’s per capita revenues. The only thing which will happen is that Tanzania will accelerate airport developments in Dar and Arusha. In Dar, we will have a brand-new terminal by end of year, and Arusha [meaning Kilimanjaro International Airport, not the municipal field in Arusha town] will soon also be modernized. Kenya should consider what it means for them in economic terms to lose several hundred thousand travelers who land in Nairobi and up to now transfer by road to Tanzania. We are now determined after this latest insult to bring that traffic home to Arusha and Dar. Then they can count their losses if that is what they want. They think they hurt us? We have endured many insults over so many things in the past, but we can play that game also.”

Reactions from Uganda’s and Rwanda’s tourism sector were slow in coming, almost reluctant, and those spoken to or mailed for comments were loath to be drawn into the dispute for fear of being seen as taking sides.

“I told you before that we are not getting involved here,” responded a Ugandan source but then added “We, however, encourage the two EAC partners to resume talks. The East African Community can provide the platform for that, and if any of them so wishes, we will be happy to provide a venue in Uganda like neutral ground,” but would then not go any further. Only one Rwandan contact responded, also literally pleading the proverbial “Fifth” before finally writing back: “It is not our fight, but sadly will we all suffer the fallout from this. We have our own issues on a bilateral basis, and getting involved may not help Rwanda to make progress on our own agenda. In tourism terms, it is sad that the concept of one destination with many attractions is now stumbling and stuttering. However, I am confident that this will sooner than later be sorted out. A good example is how the two are presently working hand in hand to establish a trans-boundary power grid, so it is not all just bad news. And as you pointed out, the upcoming elections are surely an issue, but two whole ministers should be able to put that behind them. Remember one of them also holds the EAC portfolio and will have to interact with her Tanzanian counterparts on an almost daily basis.”

As said before, cooler minds are called upon to restore some sanity in the bilateral tourism relations between the two countries and EAC officials and the East African Business Council, besides the East African Tourism Platform, all are working behind the scenes to defuse the presently volatile situation and have both sides resume direct talks.

Source: ETURBO NEWS

Young Rwandans have came up with the great idea of providing professional services of tourism to their fellow Rwandans and help them acquire more knowledge about the beauty of their nation since the country is described as a land of thousand hills and many other features.

This will be done through Wilson Tours as a Rwandan tour company focusing on domestic tourism within Rwanda and aiming at creating that heart in Rwandans so that they explore the beauty of their nation.

By an initiative idea from Wilson Habimana and his colleagues, they came up with the great idea of providing professional services of tourism to their fellow Rwandans and help them acquire more knowledge about the beauty of their nation since the country is described as a land of thousand hills and many other features.

In the first place Wilson Travel Tours Agency, a local firm that promotes community tourism, has won the 2014 Spark Business Plan Award and Rwf 800,000 cash prize which is a good start as Wilson states.

He said, “Based on previous experiences, it is clear that in the next few years our clients will increase as they will keep on getting information about our existence, We call Rwandans to be tourists in their own country and to experience what millions of international tourists are drawn to annually – the sheer beauty of their land, its rich culture and heritage, and the warmth and hospitality of their fellow citizens.”

An argument could be submitted as to why, the company is trying to encourage and promote domestic tourism despite the fact that it will not generate among other things foreign earnings as in the case of international tourism and here is what they aim at.

“Here in Rwanda, we have breathtakingly beautiful scenery, a treasure trove of cultures to explore, and fascinating people to meet. We have wonderful cities, which offer some of the best urban leisure experiences in the world. We have variety and diversity. We have outstanding and capable tourism infrastructure so we intend to promote and encourage domestic tourism in Rwanda”, Wilson said

Wilson Travel Tours is currently receiving leadership, finance and marketing mentorship under a business accelerator programme by Educat, a Kigali-based entrepreneurship training non-governmental organization.

The government has said it is still studying the security environment before joining the East Africa single tourist visa whereby Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda are already members.

Tourists visiting Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are no longer to pay for separate visas for all three countries, as the East African single tourist visa comes into effect on January 1, 2014.

Working like the Schengen visa for European Union countries, the East African single tourist visa allows a tourist to enter any of the three countries that issued the visa and move freely within the other states.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian on Wednesday, Minister for Natural Resources and Toursim, Lazaro Nyalandu said the government is now making a critical study of security situation in the region before joining the East Africa single tourist visa.

“We are still weighing the possible impacts of the joint visa before committing ourselves to that project,” he said.

The minister added: “We would like to join the East Africa single tourist visa but there are some syntheses that we are doing to prove that the project will be beneficial to our country.”

The multiple-entry visa is valid for 90 days and costs USD100. Tourists can apply at any diplomatic office of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, at immigration offices of the respective countries or online.

Under the agreement reached by the three countries whose partnership is referred to as the Coalition of the Willing (CoW), Rwanda provides the software for personalisation of the visa stickers to Kenya and Uganda. The software will enable the three countries to share the fees, tourist information and tourism data.

The visa said to reduce the costs of movement across the countries, leading to an increase in the number of tourists.

The single tourist visa is said to increase the number of tourists and also benefit citizens as it will allow free movement of people within the region.

The visa will not be extended, and a visitor will not be allowed to work.

However, speaking recently, Waturi Matu, co-coordinator of the East African Tourism Platform, said the single tourist visa encourages visitors to tour the region at a low cost.

“Tourists will only pay USD100 to tour the three countries, instead of USD150 or more as has been the case,” said Matu.

However, she said more needs to be done. “The three countries should now focus on other issues like reducing the airfares within the region,” she said.

For example, it is more expensive for a tourist to fly within the three countries than to fly into them from Britain.

“A tourist flying from Britain to Kenya will pay USD800, then USD400 from Kenya to Uganda, and USD300 to Rwanda,” Matu said. “This is very expensive considering the distances between the East African countries.”

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Nairobi: Friday, December 19, 2014: Three Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) namely; Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects initiative, have waived visa fees for foreign residents living within the 3 countries in order to allow them easier access to the region’s diverse offering.

The waiver agreement is part of the Joint Communique that Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda signed at the just concluded 8th Northern Corridor Integration Summit held in Nairobi last week.

Known as the East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV), foreign residents no longer have to pay the $100 fee for the Visa that is valid for ninety days effective December 15th 2014.

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said the single tourist visa will provide an amazing opportunity for residents staying in the three Partner States to explore the immense diversity of wildlife, landscapes, cultures, and heritage, among other renowned attractions either for weekend gateways, corporate retreats or annual family holidays.

The Rwanda Development Board’s Head of Department for Tourism and Conservation Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi said in a statement that the waiver of the fee on the single East Africa Tourist Visa was the next step in consolidating and enriching the region’s tourism offering.

“We are approaching the rest of the world as a unified and rich tourist destination with varied experiences for travellers. We are also positioning East Africa’s tourism assets collectively as part of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects,” said Ambassador Karitanyi adding that the joint marketing programmes will be carried out annually and will cover road shows such as the International Tourism Board (ITB) and World Travel Market (WTM) in 2015. She pointed out that going forward, the Partner States will lobby for a single stand during international tourism marketing events.

Outlining the modalities of implementation, Ambassador Karitanyi said the eligible foreign residents shall be issued with interstate pass on exiting the host state and visitor’s pass endorsed in their passports on arrival by presenting valid work/resident permits. Other immigration procedures and regulations will however be maintained.

In preparing for the joint marketing programs, she noted that the Partner States were already gearing up the teams involved by conducting destination training workshops and disseminating information on the use of National Identity Cards, Student/Voters Cards and the East Africa Tourist Visa.

Uganda Tourism Board’s Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Asiimwe said; “This move is bound to bring exponential benefits to foreign residents living here. Our countries have a rich tourist menu on offer. From serene beaches, to pristine wildlife and nature, exquisite reserves, warm hearted and inviting people, our region is the place to visit. Our products are inexhaustible and this waiver offers our region, the best place to live and work. We encourage this community to be a part of the endless discovery, encounter and adventure of the best tourism episode of Africa at the least affordable price.”

“We encourage the private sector to take advantage of this opportunity to offer unbeatable packages while maximizing win-win offers,” Asiimwe concluded.

The number of foreign tourists who visited Africa in 2013 hit 65.1 million according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The UNWTO said this was another record year that saw a worldwide growth of 5% reaching a global tourists travel of 1,087 million compared to 1,035 million in 2012.

Presenting the findings in Kampala of the 2014 Africa Tourism Monitor, Beejaye Kokil, the Division Manager Economic and Social Statistics African Development Bank said the most popular African destination for international travellers was Morocco followed by Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.

Morocco had 10.5million tourists who visited followed by Egypt who had 9.17million tourists. South Africa got 9.15 million tourists while Tunisia received 6.27million. Zimbabwe was fifth in Africa with 1.83million.

Africa’s share on the total global travel was only 6%. Europe topped with 565million international tourists having a share of 52% followed by Asia and the Pacific at 248 million tourists a 22.9% percentage representation.

North America had 110.5 million tourists (10.2%) while Central America, Caribbean, South America and Middle East were second last and last with 57.8 million international tourists (5.3%) and 39.6million international tourists (3.6%).

Tanzania was the best in the East African region in terms of direct employment as result of the tourism industry with 402500 jobs created in 2013 according to the UNWTO Tourism Monitor. Kenya came second with 226300 jobs. The Tourism Monitor didn’t show figures for Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Egypt topped on the African continent in terms of job creation from the tourism industry with 1,251,000 jobs created in 2013 followed by South Africa (645,500), Tanzania was third on the continent (402,500), Kenya (226,300), Madagascar (224,900) and Zimbabwe (43,600).

The World Tourism Organization projects that Africa’s international tourist arrivals will hit 134 million in 2030 which will see an increase of 106% over the 2013 figures.

According to Dr. Charles Lufumpa the Director Statistics at the African Development Bank, the rise will be triggered by an influx of new visitors from emerging economies in Asia, central and eastern Europe, all seeking to experience the cultural heritage, extraordinary wildlife and dramatic landscapes unique to the continent.

“In 2013 African economies grew at approximately 4% on average, compared to 3% for the world economy, with broad variations across different regions and income groupings,” said Lufumpa.

He said the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has drawn critical national and regional infrastructural challenges in the health and transportation sector.

Source: BUSINESS WEEK

The East African Community is show-casing the region’s tourism potential and marketing the five Partner States as a Single Tourist Destination at the ongoing World Travel Market in London, United Kingdom.

The five Partner States are being lead by Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Hon. Phyllis Kandie, who is also Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, while Hon. Jesca Eriyo, the EAC Deputy Secretary General (Productive and Social Sectors) is heading the team from the EAC Secretariat.

At the joint marketing event held at the Kenya Stand 5 November, 2014, the Chairperson of the Council made a statement on the strategies that are being implemented nationally and regionally on the Ebola virus. She said East African Governments had prepared a robust Ebola Emergency Preparedness and Response plans that meet the World Health Organization standards, comply with the International Health Regulations- Emergency Committee and AU Decisions on Travel and Trade Restrictions.

She affirmed to her audience and the world at large that EAC was secure, safe and Ebola free Destination of Wonders and Opportunities (statement attached).

At the same event, the Deputy Secretary General (Productive and Social Sectors), Hon. Eriyo disclosed that substantial progress had been made in the Hospitality industry through the implementation of the East African Community Criteria for the classification of Accommodation establishments. She also noted that substantial progress had been achieved in the preparation and introduction of a Single Tourist Visa that facilitates the sell of multi-destinations.

Present at the event were, among others, Honourable Lazaro Nyalandu, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, United Republic of Tanzania; Hon. Agnes Akrior Egunyu, Minister of State, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities – Republic of Uganda; His Excellency High Commissioner Peter A. Kallaghe, United Republic of Tanzania; His Excellency Ambassador William Nkurunzizya, Republic of Rwanda; and His Excellency High Commissioner Deo Sindayihebura, Embassy of Burundi.

Directors of Tourism and Board Members of different Marketing authorities; Mr. Mureithi Ndegwa, Managing Director, Kenya Tourist Board (KTB); Ms. Devota Mdachi, Acting Managing Director, Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB); Mr. Stephen Assimwe Executive Director , Uganda Tourist Board; Ambassador Yamina Kayiteri, Head of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
SOURCE East African Community Secretariat (EAC)

STOWE, Vermont, USA – Amb Yamina Karitanyi, Head of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda, will be a featured speaker at this year’s International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) World Travel Market event “Cultivating Sustainable and Peaceful Communities and Nations through Tourism, Culture and Sports.”

Wednesday, November 5, 10:30 am to 12:00 Noon
South Gallery Rooms 21 and 22

Ambassador Karitanyi will share the lessons learned following during years of conflict in Rwanda and the role of tourism, culture and sport in post-conflict reconciliation and socio-economic re-development.

Other panelists in the event being organized by the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) include: Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Martin Craigs, CEO Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA); Hiran Cooray, Director, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Chairman, Jetwing Hotels Ltd. and Mrs. Wahida Jaiet, Managing Director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office (TNTO). Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President, International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) will be the Moderator.

This will be an interactive session with questions, comments and insights welcome from the floor.

The world is currently faced with conflict on every continent – some that began as much as 70 years ago. As well, there are many conflicts in this same period that have been successfully resolved. What lessons can we learn from countries that have resolved their conflict? How can we work towards building sustainable and peaceful communities – sustainable and peaceful nations? As one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries -what role can tourism play.

ETurbo News