The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has unveiled a new strategy that is expected to earn the country over $150m (about Rwf104.3b) annually from international conferences and workshops by 2015, up from $49m presently. 

The strategy code named MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) will not only boost the economic potential of Rwanda’s tourism industry, but will also strengthen public-private sector partnerships in the industry. 

"The economic potential of the MICE sector is immense. Total revenues from MICE tourism were $49m last year (about Rwf34.1b) and is projected to more than triple to $150m by 2015. This is 16 per cent of the total national export earnings and, 34 per cent of the overall tourism receipts,” Amb. Yamina Karitanyi, the head of tourism and conservation department at RDB, said during the launch of the strategy on Tuesday.

Its main aim is to diversify Rwanda’s tourism products. 

Karitanyi added that the strategy was designed in line with the country’s growth blueprint, the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) objectives.

He stressed the need for the private sector to get fully involved in tourism activities, arguing that the industry should be private sector led to be sustainable and competitive.

Karitanyi noted that while leisure tourism is a vital part of the national tourism strategy, business tourists have tripled compared to leisure visitors.

The tourism sector mainly depends on mountain gorilla trekking, eco-tourism, cultural and community based-tourism. 

Rwanda’s share in international meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry is presently minimal, according to sector players. The International Conference and Congress Association’s (ICCA) latest research ranked Rwanda as 21st in Africa. 

Rwanda will host one of Africa’s top annual conferences, the 49th African Development Bank Annual Meetings, next week. 

In recent years, the country has hosted a couple of big global and continental conferences in Kigali. 

The tourism sector has recorded impressive performance over the last five years, growing by 12 per cent, which is way above the global average of 5 per cent.

Meanwhile, RDB has created a ‘destination’ marketing arm, the Rwanda Convention Bureau. 

The new office targets to see Rwanda become one of Africa’s top 10 tourist destinations by 2016. 

"The bureau has a stand and will be introduced to the global meetings and incentives marketplace at next week’s IMEX international meetings exhibition tradeshow in Frankfurt as Africa’s newest convention bureau,” RDB officials said.

Tourism is Rwanda’s top foreign exchange earner with coffee and tea as the country’s main exports.  The sector’s revenues grew by four per cent last year to $293.6m (about Rwf196.7b), up from $281.8m (about Rwf188.8b) generated in 2012, according to the Rwanda Development Board statistics. 

The country hosted about 1,137,000 visitors last year compared to around 1,076,000 in 2012, an increase of six per cent.