Akagera National Park generated $4.8 million (Rwf6.45 billion) in tourism revenues in in 2023, an increase from $3.7 million recorded in 2022, according to its management.

According to the annual report by African Parks, which manages Rwanda’s Akagera National Park and Nyungwe National Park, 2023 saw significant progress in the park’s revenue generation, ending the year 92 per cent self-sustaining.

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Rwanda’s tourism revenue rose by 36 percent from $445 million in 2022 to reach $620 million in 2023 (approx. Rwf798 billion), according to Rwanda Development Board.

African Parks had projected $4.5 million in revenues from Akagera National Park.

The report also looked at the performance in terms of tourism revenues of other parks in African countries such as Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

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Tourism revenues of Akagera National Park, which is home to a wide range of savannah-adapted species, including the Big Five, grew from $203,000 in 2010 to $2.5 million in 2019.

"After commercial expenses, the net revenue made the park 92 per cent self-sufficient against its entire budget for the year,” according to the report.

"With the goal of achieving 100 per cent self-sustaining by 2025, Akagera is poised, through local enterprise projects and tourism, which contribute to both biodiversity conservation and community development, to become the first fully self-sufficient park under African Parks’ management,” it stated.

Up to $316,000 went to local communities through tourism-generated revenues, the park management said.

Akagera’s total revenue for 2023 was achieved thanks to increased visitors and income generating projects such as fisheries through the Gishanda project, according to African Parks.

The national park located in Eastern Province continued to build on the commercial success of fisheries and beekeeping given that Gishanda Fish Farm supplied 248,000 fingerlings to restock the lakes around the park.

In 2023, the park recorded an increased volume of visitors – international visitors up by 32 per cent and Rwandan citizens by 25 per cent.

Over 54,000 park visitors were received, of which 3,000 were community visitors, and 43 per cent of paying guests were Rwandan citizens.

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The park has seen a 127 percent increase in its animal population since 2010, according to the management.

The giraffe population in Akagera grew from 54 in 2013 to 110 in 2023, according to a survey by African Parks and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Akagera’s black and white rhino and lion populations also continued to grow.

Based on ongoing surveys, it is estimated that Akagera is home to between 60 and 80 leopards and 120 to 150 hyenas.

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Among other notable species found in Akagera, there were 142 elephants, 1,153 zebras, 782 waterbucks, and 1,820 hippos, among others.

The growth was revealed through the biennial Aerial Census for 2023.

Revenue sharing scheme

Akagera’s contribution to the Rwanda Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) scheme in 2023 exceeded $316,000, directly supporting public projects in the communities around the park.

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This scheme is a government financial vehicle that ensures tourism revenue benefits communities around national parks by funding infrastructure and micro-businesses.

In the 2023/24 fiscal year 26 projects in communities around Akagera, with a total value of $650,000, were also selected for Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS) scheme support.

These projects include infrastructure, such as selling points and utilities connections, as well as funding community cooperatives to start or scale up their own businesses.