Tourism Earnings in Rwanda surge by 25% in 2016 from 2015

Rwanda, the home of mountain gorillas anticipates increasing its tourism earnings this year by 25.8% up from 2015.

According to Francis Gatare, the Chief Executive Officer of the state-run Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the increase is attributed to extra attractions including a new game park.

Rwanda, whose Mountain Gorillas top its tourism chart is prominent for its rolling emerald hills, chimps, golden monkeys and several primate species, lakes and many more has seen tourist revenues hit USD 400 million in 2016 up from USD 318 million of last year.

The visitors’ numbers in 2016 are predictable to upturn by 4% (1.352 million) in 2016 up from 1.3 million that were recorded in 2015.

Gatare said Rwanda wanted to make best use of earnings from visitors “by offering numerous tourism openings for visitors to prolong their stay in the country,”

Gatare added that Gishwati-Mukura, a new national park, the country’s fourth one has been opened,  a cultural village in Kigali, a gigantic new hospitality facility, the Kigali Convention Centre plus the newly created adventure accomplishments on Lake Kivu would upsurge tourism revenues for the country.

Rwanda is recognized for rapid growth ever since the 1994 genocide that engulfed the entire country and claimed close to 800,000 lives. Even though critics of President Paul Kagame assert that his dictatorial style weakens the prospective for an enduring political stability.