| The Rwanda Tourism Board is seen as the best | | | | that Rwanda is a showcase in Africa with regards |
| example in sub-Saharan Africa of how to organize | | | | to infrastructure, encouraging policies and |
| and improve tourism development and get a | | | | products. |
| workable system off the ground. Talking the fact | | | | Ms Grace Mbabazi of the Ugandan Ministry of |
| that Rwanda has been through a traumatizing | | | | Tourism, Trade & Industry told the media |
| history of the 1994 genocide that saw most the | | | | that four years ago they had received just over |
| Rwandese people die others being displaced, it | | | | 100 000 visitors. Last year arrivals had increased |
| goes without saying that Rwanda has picked the | | | | to approximately 516 000 providing 35% of total |
| pieces from that history and now its doing well | | | | foreign earnings for the country. |
| compared to Uganda that has at least been stable | | | | In his welcoming address, Ms Rosette Rugamba |
| for some time now! | | | | said that although tourism was an ever-changing |
| Representatives of the newly established Ugandan | | | | industry, the goal was the same throughout |
| Tourism Board were in Kigali of recent to meet | | | | Africa: to reduce poverty and create jobs. "It is |
| with the RTB. Chairman of UTB, Roni Madhvani, | | | | an honour that you chose to come to Rwanda on |
| said that in although Uganda tourism is doing well | | | | this mission. African co-operation and partnerships |
| and actually the fastest growing activity in | | | | for the advancement of the continent's economy |
| country, Rwanda tourism is slightly better than | | | | and the reduction of poverty is the goal of all |
| Uganda, and that is evidently explained in the | | | | African countries." |
| recently held travel market in Berlin Germany | | | | African governments are now realizing the |
| where Rwanda displayed the most attractive | | | | importance of tourism for job creation and are |
| stole and emerged the best in Africa. | | | | committed to developing policies to increase |
| The impressive achievements in Rwanda inspired | | | | human-capacity building. Rwanda is willing to share |
| them to meet, see and share what had been | | | | information on licensing, grading, levy systems, |
| achieved so far. He said that since Rwanda and | | | | how to collect the levies, how to enforce the |
| Uganda had such diverse products and different | | | | policies and how to find those who are not paying |
| markets, they could never be competition for | | | | their dues. In order to see to it that tourism in |
| each other. Roni told the press in a media briefing | | | | east Africa grows as desired. |