{The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is pleased to announce that “Kwita Izina” has been selected among the finalists for the UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance.}
In 2005, Rwanda’s tourist board introduced an annual public gorilla naming ceremony now known as Kwita Izina which comes from Rwandan baby naming tradition that entire community is involved in naming a newly born. The event is in line with the effort to create and raise awareness for the conservation of mountain gorillas, as a tool to distinctively position and promote Rwanda as a must-see tourism destination and empower communities surrounding Volcanoes National Park, mountains gorillas’ habitat.
Following the UNWTO call for nomination in June this year, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) submitted the application for the UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Innovation with the key project of KWITA IZINA on October 1st, 2013. After consideration, the UNWTO Awards Jury Committee recommended the KWITA IZINA Programme as one of the finalists in the category of UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance.
Other finalists in the same category are Interactive System of Tourist Information, Office of the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland) and Responsible Tourism Project at Kumarakom, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala (India). The winner will be unveiled during the International Tourism Trade Fair – FITUR to take place on the 22nd of January 2014 in Madrid, Spain.
Commenting on the UNWTO announcement, Valentine Rugwabiza, RDB CEO said,
“We are delighted for the recognition of being finalists in innovative projects by UNTWO. This nomination is a global recognition of Rwanda‘s leadership in innovative, communities’ focused and sustainable tourism”.
As Rwanda is home to about one third of the Mountain gorillas only left in the world, 173 baby gorillas during Kwita Izina celebration have been named among others by the President of Rwanda and the First Lady, prominent personalities in tourism, ambassadors, international conservationists, Hollywood stars, renowned journalists and performing artists.
The Head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB, Rica Rwigamba recognised that it is good news as Rwanda gears up for the 10th Edition of Kwita Izina celebration.
“This recognition is a great opportunity to market Rwanda further in the tourism industry and specifically Kwita Izina as a flagship event that continues to attract thousands of people. I undoubtedly believe it will figure among the important dates of global conservation calendar” She Furth more added, “we are on the right track and can form the basis for continued positioning of our country as a high end destination that puts at its chore sustainable tourism development that integrates both biodiversity conservation and community development”.
Every year since 2003, the UNWTO Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism have honoured tourism initiatives that contribute to advance tourism through knowledge and innovation, in line with the principles of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Since its inception in 2005, Kwita Izina has evolved from a one day celebration to a week celebration. Along with the main gorilla-naming ceremony, a number of exciting events take place during the week preceding the naming ceremony among which emphasis in conservation and community welfare based. From 2005, an amount of 586,838,751 Rwf (978,065 US$) from RDB’s Tourism Revenue Sharing Scheme was allocated to community development.
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