Rwanda tops Danish list of tourist destinations

STOCKHOLM: Denmark’s largest and most influential newspaper, Politiken, has placed Rwanda at the top of a list of the World’s tourist destinations that are overlooked, The New Times has learnt. Politiken credited Rwanda’s placement on the list to “magnificent scenery of tea and coffee plantations, rainforests, volcanoes and lakes”.

Thursday, July 28, 2011
A beach on Lake Kivu in Rubavu. Rwanda has demonstrated strong tourism potential. The New Times File

STOCKHOLM: Denmark’s largest and most influential newspaper, Politiken, has placed Rwanda at the top of a list of the World’s tourist destinations that are overlooked, The New Times has learnt.

Politiken credited Rwanda’s placement on the list to "magnificent scenery of tea and coffee plantations, rainforests, volcanoes and lakes”.

The newspaper also said that "Africa’s wildlife is well represented in [Rwanda’s] national parks, from grazing elephants, giraffes and hippos through leopards, lions and hyenas to the world famous mountain gorillas”.

Politiken noted that many people’s default instinct on Rwanda, unfortunately, remained that of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, in spite of the way the country "has fought its way back from the brink.”

The Second Counselor at Rwanda’s Embassy to the Nordic Countries, Evode Mudaheranwa said the findings by Politiken portray the efforts by the government and the private sector in Rwanda to speed up growth in the tourism sector.

"Politiken essentially repeated what tourists from Nordic Countries returning from Rwanda have been telling us,” said Mudaheranwa.

"Clearly there is strong potential here. We plan to intensify investment promotion in the Nordic countries while also highlighting the unique experience of travelling to Rwanda,” he added

The other destinations mentioned on the Politiken top 20 list are: Nagaland (India), Baku (Azerbaijan), Bequia (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Tiradentes (Brazil), Blue Ridge Parkway (USA), Nova Scotia (Canada), Isan (Thailand), Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Reporoa, (New Zealand), Munzur dalen (Turkey), Caceres (Spain), Vaduz (Liechtenstein), Osel (Estonia), Scala dei Turchi (Sicily), Görlitz (Germany), Lohjanjärvi (Finland), Cancale (France), Angus Glens (Scotland) and Sarajevo ( Bosnia-Hercegovina).

The Nordics; composed of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden is the wealthiest region on earth measured by per capita income.

A combination of the countries’ long and harsh winters, generous mandated paid vacations and relatively high disposable incomes makes the region a rich source for tourists.

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