Ecological, tourism and environmental management meets Rwanda’s priority in strategic outlay without forgetting the community.

The creation of the Akagera Nationalpark in 1934 was conceived out of the need to establish a homogenous wildlife corridor covering 250,000 ha where both wildlife and tourists would have uninterrupted movement.

30,000ha extra was added for "zone de chase”. This might have been a good idea by the Belgians. Some Rwandese left the country due to political mayhems engineered by the colonialists.

The government had to pooh-pooh the need for resettlement of Rwandans who were outside their mother land. The country was too small…they claimed!

The government of national unity was challenged by the influx of refugees returning home. Social and environmental footprints had emerged.  Balancing both settlement of returnees and maintaining wildlife. This was done with success.

112, 196 ha were left for wildlife.  Tourist facilities and basic infrastructure - such as access roads and camping and picnic sites - were upgraded to a certain standard. The community was not left behind.

A lot had been done in conserving the environment. Projects like revenue sharing for the community were emphasized to boost their income position for poverty alleviation, and facilitated the rehabilitation of poachers to some extent etc...

Though at a tortoise’s pace; renovation of one lodge and picnic sites at various locations in the park were done. Private sector should focus on such opportunities. The government entered into a PPP with African Parks in view of managing the park professionally.

Facilities like hotels and lodges have to be built in addition to transport and communications infrastructure – which all cost millions. Kabarondo-Park Road needs urgent attention! A 29 km journey takes one hour drive; the same journey would take 25 minutes if upgraded.

Tourism cannot be done on a plain land. Flora and fauna conservation not only contribute to environmental management, but also a base for tourism development. So these were properly managed and balanced to ensure sustainability.

Poaching is considered illegal activity. Poachers come from both Rwanda and Tanzania.  Roan Antelope once killed may earn a poacher Rwf20, 000.

The same animal may cost the Government USD20, 000 to import. There is still a lot to be done in the anti-poaching campaign.

Akagera NP may learn from Volcano National park anti-poaching schemes some of which were initiated by Charles Nsabimana. It was homemade and successful.

While people around the park would engage in various activities, visitors would spend money in our community which is very good for our local economy. The jobs created by tourist attractions, the tax revenue etc… contribute to tourism being a healthy revenue source for Rwanda. Economic benefit is paramount.

Akagera NP being located at the border of Uganda and Tanzania gives it a competitive edge in EAC. Businesses and public organizations are increasingly interested in the economic impacts of tourism at regional, national, and local levels.

Tourism supports so many jobs in an area. Festival or special event generate so much money in sales or income in a community. "Multiplier effects” are often cited to capture secondary effects of tourism spending and show the wide range of sectors in a community that may benefit from tourism.

Tourism’s economic benefits are touted by the industry for a variety of reasons. Tourism’s economic significance gives the industry greater respect among the business community, public officials.

This often translates into public policies that are favourable to tourism. Certainly a tidy sum should be spent on marketing; so the initial investments do not come to naught because tourists don’t know what is happening!

Tourism activity also involves economic costs, including the direct costs incurred by tourism businesses, government costs for infrastructure to better serve tourists.

Community decisions over tourism often involve debates between industry proponents advertising tourism’s economic impacts (benefits) and detractors emphasizing tourism’s costs.

Sound decisions rest on a balanced and objective assessment of both benefits and costs and an understanding of who benefits from tourism and who pays for it.

Tourism’s economic impacts are therefore an important consideration in state, regional and community planning and economic development. Economic impacts are also important factors in marketing and management decisions.

A variety of methods, ranging from pure guesswork to complex mathematical models, are used to estimate tourism’s economic impacts. Studies vary extensively in quality and accuracy, as well as which aspects of tourism are included.

Thanks to the Government of Rwanda in deciding to fence Akagera National Park. Believe me or not, many issues will be resolved. On conserving the fauna and flora, tourism will be done in a more conducive environment, and economically sustainable.

sebasore@yahoo.com
The author works with Akagera National Park