Players in the hospitality and tourism sector have attributed the rise in hotel rooms to increase in tourists, international and national conferences.However, they say, the room distribution remains uneven across the country.
According to the 2024 Statistical Year Book released last week by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Rwanda boasted 21,232 hotel rooms in 2023, up from 17,078 in 2020.
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"The reported 21,000+ hotel rooms show significant growth in Rwanda’s hospitality sector, reflecting the country’s ambitions as a regional hub for tourism and business. This capacity is crucial for accommodating the increasing number of international conferences, events, and tourists," said Alphonse Habimana, a hospitality expert with over a decade of experience and Principal of Kigali Excellent Tourism and Hospitality Academy.
However, he called for continuous investment in quality and service to maintain the competitiveness of the country’s hospitality in the region.
He as well pointed out that while Kigali enjoys a concentration of high-standard hotel rooms due to its role as the main business and tourism hub, other regions, especially those with key tourist attractions like Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest, and Akagera National Park, still face imbalances in room availability.
"This disparity highlights the need for strategic investment to distribute accommodations more evenly and foster inclusive tourism development," he said.
He also highlighted the challenges in maintaining a skilled workforce for the hospitality industry.
"Institutions like Rwanda TVET Board, RDB, and the Chamber of Tourism should work to address gaps through training and capacity building, but more efforts are needed to ensure the workforce meets international standards,” he noted.
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Frank Gahigi, a freelance tour guide, echoed similar concerns.
"The availability of rooms is concentrated in cities. Sometimes, you take a customer to a tourist area only to find that all the rooms are fully booked. You end up driving another two hours to find accommodation," Gahigi said.
According to the report, Kigali as well as secondary and satellite cities are on top with a large number of hotel rooms. This means that rural districts have the least number of hotel rooms.
"In Akagera National Park, it’s hard to find an affordable room for those with a limited budget. This forces people to travel all the way to Kabarondo Sector, which is quite far, to find rooms priced between $30 and $40. Inside the park, rooms cost around $150 or more," Gahigi noted.
Gervais Hafashimana, owner and Managing Director of My Hill Eco Lodge in Musanze District, pointed out that the reason why rural areas suffer from a shortage of hotel rooms is the high cost of investment.
"Pricing depends on the level of investment. We charge between $100 and $200 per a night, but there is still a long way to go in terms of addressing the room shortage," he explained.
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Yves Ngenzi, Director of the Tourism Department at the Private Sector Federation (PSF), acknowledged the sector’s progress.
"The growing number of hotel rooms reflects the sector’s expansion and its alignment with the government’s goal of developing the economy through tourism."
He emphasized that cities like Kigali, secondary cities, and key tourism areas have more hotels due to higher demand but that there is still a need for further improvements, particularly more five-star hotels.
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