Rwanda will look to woo more Middle Eastern tourists at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM2019) which opens today in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) is the largest professional tourism fair and business to business event in the eastern Mediterranean. The global show attracts people from 50 countries, 1,720 exhibitors, 235 hosted buyers and 18,250 trade visitors.

Present at the Visit Rwanda pavilion will Rwanda Development Board officials, the Rwandan Embassy in Israel and Rwandan tour operators.

Visitors to the pavilion will also get to taste and enjoy fresh Rwandan coffee and tea.

Eugene Mutangana, the Acting Head of Tourism and Conservation in RDB, said that participation at the exhibition is part of the ongoing efforts to promote Rwanda as the premier business and tourism destination.

"RDB’s participation at this show for the first time gives an opportunity to reach the most widely travelled group of people in Mediterranean region. In addition to meetings with key travel businesses, we will have a seminar with 70 tour operators to promote Rwanda as the premier business and tourism destination in Africa and build awareness of Rwanda’s diverse range of unique experiences, for both leisure and business travel,” Mutangana said.

Ambassador of Rwanda to Israel, Joseph Rutabana said that the development presents a good opportunity to tap into a fast-growing market of tourists.

"Rwanda’s participation in Israel’s leading travel show presents a good opportunity to tap into a fast-growing market of tourists. Israel as a country registers over 1.7 million trips abroad annually with an average of 13 per cent annual growth,” Rutabana said.

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