Intensive marketing of Rwanda’s tourism products and a steady recovery in the global economy have helped the country register a 5 percent rise in tourism revenues to $44.4m in the first quarter of 2010 compared to $42m in the same period last year, according to official statistics.

Rwanda Development Board (RDB)-Tourism and Conservation said, Monday, that from January to March this year Rwanda hosted an estimate 159,977 visitors and recorded a remarkable 8 percent increase in international visitors’ arrivals and 25 percent increase in leisure visitors.

Annette Mbabazi, the Media and events Officer at RDB-Tourism and Conservation said: "This increase is attributed to the intense campaign and promotion of Rwanda’s beauty, especially at international fairs and online.

"After analysing the visitor arrival statistics together with the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration, the park activities equally increased with the recorded park activities amounting to 9,592 park visits.”

This corresponds to an 18 percent increase compared to last year at the same period, she said.

Famous for its highland gorillas and hilly landscapes, Rwanda also registered an increase of 12 percent in gorilla visits, Akagera 25 percent and volcanoes19 percent, RDB said.  However, Nyungwe visits slid by 6 percent.

Rwanda expects the number of overall visitors to reach 750,000 people in 2010, increasing tourism receipts by 7 percent to $187m.

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