Edwin Ashimwe
Africa-Press – Rwanda. All roads lead to the Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) where the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) will host its first global summit on the African continent.
Co-organised by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the summit which is also the most influential annual conference on the travel and tourism calendar, is expected to bring together thousands of industry leaders, experts, and key government representatives to, among others, recognise the sector’s growth across the continent in recent years and at the same time analyse its challenges.
A part of the camping tents at the Uwinka Visitors Center inside the forest in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Sam Ngendahimana
Several keynote speakers including Heads of State, and captains of industry are expected to speak at the summit.
The summit comes at a time when Rwanda aims to double its tourism revenue from $445 million (approx. Rwf 546 billion) raked in during 2022, to more than $800 million (approx. Rwf 983 billion) under its seven-year National Transformation Strategy.
WTTC Global Summit aims to be the catalyst for this change, offering a platform where ideas meet opportunities, and where the future of travel and tourism is redefined, organisers said.
Cyinzobe walking trail in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda’s latest gem
The new Cyinzobe walking trail is a captivating addition to Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, inviting visitors to traverse the mountainous rainforest region on foot, according to World Travel Market.
This newly established hiking trail spreads across three days, winding through lush, verdant landscapes, offering hikers the opportunity to explore Rwanda’s rich biodiversity and encounter a diverse array of flora and fauna, from vibrant bird species to indigenous plant life.
According to the park’s management, accommodation on the trail offers two exclusive full-board campsites with wooden cabins, offering a refuge amongst nature to rest and rejuvenate after a day of hiking.
The nearly 102,000-hectare rainforest, located in south-western Rwanda, is home to intact forests and peat bogs, moors, thickets, and grasslands, providing habitats to highly diverse flora and fauna.
The national park feeds two of the world’s longest rivers — River Nile and River Congo — and is the source of up to 70 per cent of Rwanda’s freshwater.
Nyungwe’s monetary value is estimated at $4.8 billion (approx. Rwf5.8 trillion), according to studies.
RwandAir introduces new daily direct flights from London to Kigali
Since October 29, 2023, RwandAir, the national carrier, announced that it will operate daily non-stop flights between Heathrow and Kigali, having previously offered only four direct flights a week.
The new service departs from London at 8:30 pm and arrives in Kigali at 7 am the next day, with a total flight time of eight and a half hours.
Travellers can experience RwandAir’s business or economy class aboard their Airbus A330 fleet as they travel to Africa.
The announcement follows the airline’s expanding European operations with the recent launch of the daily non-stop service from Paris to Kigali in June 2023.
Just recently, the airline also announced the addition of a new Boeing 737 aircraft as it continues to expand its air service capacity including routes.
As it stands, the airline flies to more than 20 cities in Western, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
In Africa, RwandAir destinations are Abuja, Accra, Bangui, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Cape Town, Cotonou, Dar es Salaam, Douala, Entebbe, Harare, Johannesburg, Kilimanjaro, Lagos, Libreville, Lusaka, and Nairobi.
Kivu Queen uBuranga sets sail
Setting sail in the fourth quarter of 2023, guests will be welcomed on board the Mantis Kivu Queen uBuranga, a luxury houseboat-style hotel cruising along Rwanda’s Lake Kivu.
The boat is designed to offer a premium hotel experience on the water, offering 10 modern cabins, a swimming pool, a spa, a viewing deck with a hot tub, a restaurant, and a bar.
Lake Kivu is one of Africa’s great lakes and is the largest lake in Rwanda, with crystal clear waters that stretch for over 1,000 square miles.
Passengers will voyage through one of the most bio-diverse eco zones of the world, the Albertine Rift montane forests, with guided hikes and bird-watching sessions along the way.
In line with Mantis’ conservation and community pillars, Kivu Queen uBuranga has been created to add value to the environment and communities living along Lake Kivu, providing on-board work for locals and income to small businesses along the river.
New state-of-the-art airport planned for Kigali
Rwanda is set to elevate its air travel infrastructure with ambitious plans for a cutting-edge airport in Kigali set to open in 2026.
The project aims to create a world-class aviation hub for travellers.
With plans for state-of-the-art facilities and eco-friendly features, the new airport is set to include a 130,000 square kilometre main terminal and accommodate estimates of eight million people annually.
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