The meeting, held on Saturday evening, was led by RDB Chief Tourism Officer Irène Murerwa and focused on the trio’s activities and opportunities to amplify the country’s unique tourism experiences through their combined social media reach.
The discussions come as Ashton Hall, Kagarara and Yogendra Kushwah conclude a multi-country tour across Africa, with Rwanda serving as the final stop of Hall’s journey on the continent.
According to RDB, the meeting explored “opportunities to showcase the country’s unique tourism experiences to global audiences.”
During the discussions, Murerwa welcomed the visitors and thanked them for choosing Rwanda, noting that their content has the potential to inspire young people and introduce millions around the world to the country.
Hall, whose online audience runs into millions, spoke enthusiastically about his experience in Rwanda, describing Kigali as cleaner than he had expected.
“I saw so many nice places, clean. They don’t know. This is cleaner than my city, Miami. Kigali is cleaner than Miami, and I never expected that,” he said, echoing Kigali’s reputation as one of Africa’s cleanest cities.
He explained that one of his goals during the African tour is to challenge common misconceptions about the continent.
“When I was headed here, I wanted to show all of Africa because, in America, we kind of see one side, but we don’t see all the sides,” Hall remarked. “I wanted to show all of the things that I feel like I never knew about Africa, and Rwanda as well.”
Hall also reflected on his visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, describing it as one of the most meaningful experiences of his trip.
“I feel like a lot of people, if you come to Rwanda, you have to go there for sure,” he said, adding that the memorial gave him a deeper appreciation of the country’s history and the resilience of its people.
The meeting also touched on the visitors’ upcoming tourism experiences, including gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, one of Rwanda’s flagship tourism attractions. Hall, who described gorillas as his favourite animals, expressed excitement about the experience.
Having already experienced aspects of Rwanda’s culture by wearing traditional attire and visiting local communities, Hall said he had been impressed by everything he had seen so far.
“You guys have too much to offer. The gorillas, the cows, the safari… I felt like I’ve seen a lot already.”
Despite initially planning to leave Rwanda earlier, Hall said travel changes extended his stay, something he now sees as a blessing.
“I was really sad to leave. I didn’t want to leave… I just see it as a sign. God wanted me to stay.”
Before departing, Hall described Rwanda as a place he intends to return to.
“We’re coming back. This is our second home,” he said.
Ashton Hall’s global influence, coupled with the growing audiences of Indian Ashton and Rwanda’s Kagarara, presents the country with an opportunity to reach millions of potential travellers across different regions. Kagarara has built a large following by inspiring people through his story of overcoming disability, while Indian Ashton has attracted a significant audience in India through his content.
Rwanda has continued to expand its international tourism marketing through the Visit Rwanda campaign, partnering with leading football clubs including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid, as well as NBA franchise the LA Clippers, to raise the country’s profile and attract more tourists and investors.
Leave a Reply