The Annual baby gorilla naming ceremony, Kwita Izina, will be held on September 5, unlike previous years when one of the biggest tourism events in the region was held mid-year.

Organisers say the adjustment is meant to ensure that Rwanda is compliant with the Northern corridor tourism events calendar, according to officials from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Tourism and conservation department.

As part of a joint tourism promotion initiative established under a tripartite agreement between Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda, each member country has a period to focus on a flagship tourism event.

Kenya was allocated October where they host Magical Kenya Expo, and Uganda took June to host Martyrs Day on June 3.

Unlike previous years, this event will feature multiple events and activities in the build up to the ultimate naming ceremony.

Going by the event’s calendar and schedule, the week will commence with a cultural ceremony focusing on the importance of cows in the Rwandan tradition and their impact on the soci-economic wellbeing of Rwandans.

The ceremony, dubbed "Inka Z’URwanda” (loosely translated as ‘The Cows of Rwanda’) will be celebrated in Eastern Province and will also serve to expose national cultural heritage to visiting tourists.

Other events to be held in the build up to the ceremony will be a conservation forum, photo exhibition and awards to recognise local conservationists.

The ulimate ceremony, under the theme "Conserving now and for the Future,” will see 24 baby gorillas named.

The head of tourism at RDB, Amb. Yamina Karitanyi, said the adjustment in the Kwita Izina schedule was also advantageous for seasonality purposes as it was just before the beginning of the low season.

"It is good to have a high promotion product just before the low season as it makes it possible for people to come in during the low season,” she said.

By giving the event a regional outlook, Karitanyi said they hope to promote regional markets that have not received much attention in the past.

"We hope to reach out to the rising percentage of the population in the region with disposable incomes, domestic tourists, Diaspora community coming in for holidays as well as the expat community living in the region,” Karitanyi said.

Dennis Karera, the chairperson of the East African Business Council, said the East African Single Tourism Visa has created an enabling environment for the industry’s growth.

"The region has a population of about 164 million, which provides a good market for players in the industry. This being a regional event presents opportunities for growth for businesses in the region,” Karera said.

Karera, who also chairs the Rwanda Hospitality Association, said service providers in the sector were in position to receive guests during the event.

RDB has a working estimate of between 300 and 400 guests for the naming ceremony, while the current room capacity in the country stands at about 7000, according to the hospitality association.

Joseph Birori, the president of the Rwanda Tours and Travel Association, said moving the event to September had provided tourism operators with adequate time to package their services and itinerary.

Birori added that the annual naming ceremony would also provide local industry players an opportunity to interact with regional and international operators.

Activities to promote and market the event will be jointly undertaken under the Northern Corridor initiative.

This will be the 11th edition of the annual ceremony.

A recent research by RDB and its conservation partners to establish ways to curb extinction of gorillas established that the primates’ chances of extinction were low despite their small numbers as they had adapted well over the years.

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