Business
For 2010, it’s more tourists and millions in revenue to Rwanda
Bird watching is one of the attractions at the Akagera National Park Picture: Photo/ROSETTE RUGAMBA
Posted Monday, December 28 2009 at 00:00
Rwanda’s revenue from tourism is projected to hit $203 million next year.
Rwanda Development Board also said that the country expects another $200 million from foreign direct investment in the next year.
According to the deputy chief executive in charge of tourism and conservation at the Rwanda Development Board Chantal Rosette Rugamba, at least 820,000 visitors are expected by the end of 2010.
Ms Rugamba said this while unveiling John Gara as the new RDB boss.
Mr Gara replaces Joe Ritchie who is now an adviser to President Paul Kagame.
Figures presented indicate that during the first semester of this year the country attracted some 440,000 visitors, a 7 per cent rise over the same period last year.
The visitors generated over $92 million.
Officials also said that the country expects to attract some $11 million from bird tourism by 2012.
Bird tourism
There are about 700 species of birds in Rwanda of which 44 are indigenous to the country.
RDB anticipates that birding will contribute 10 per cent of Rwanda’s tourism receipts by 2010.
“In the first half of 2009, 43 per cent or 189,857 of the visitors who came to Rwanda came for business purposes. We anticipate that conference tourism will continue to generate considerable revenue in 2010,” Ms Rugamba said.
At the same ceremony, deputy chief executive in charge of business operations at RDB Clare Akamanzi said projected investments for 2010 were recorded at $200m for foreign direct investments.
According to RDB, nine investment projects worth $52.4 million (Rwf 26.2 billion) and able to generate 240 jobs were registered in November.
This represents an increase of 297 per cent from the $13.2 million (Rwf6.6 billion) registered in October 2009.
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