Kwita Izina has sold Rwanda by word of mouth – tour consultant

Mercy Wanjau studied her dream course, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Utali College in her native Kenya. After graduating in 2011, her first job was with BaseCamp Explorer Kenya, before moving to Amahoro Tours in Musanze town in June 2012. As a full-time tour consultant, today she spends most of her work time handling enquiries from tourists on the telephone, and exchanging correspondence through email—the work she enjoys doing even on a daily basis, she told Moses Opobo. How did you end up in tourism? My name is Mercy Wanjau, a Kenyan by nationality, although I have a Rwandese name too -Uwase. I studied tourism in college because it’s something I always had passion for, and because of it, I have been in the tourism industry till now. What is your job description at Amahoro Tours? I joined Amahoro Tours two years ago as a tour consultant, having worked for an organization that has taken eco-tourism in Kenya to the next level. I’m privileged to work for a company that does not only focus on business and income generation; but also has goals that include but not limited to; facilitating high-quality tour experiences in an environment that benefits an increasing number of local people through intercultural exchange and also giving back to the community. Do you sometimes have to deal with difficult clients? We deal with clients from all walks of life and different cultures and yes; it can be difficult. As you may be aware, a customer is always right. We try as much as possible to work with each client’s demands without back-tracking and at the end, we deliver the service to the best of our knowledge. What is the most satisfying thing about this job? Rwanda is unique as a tour destination; right from its culture and history to the landscape and wildlife. At times clients get so emotional after meeting our long lost cousins (the mountain gorillas). When a client is happy then I’m happy. Many tourists say they are also moved by the warmth of the people of Rwanda. Rwanda treated the world to the 10th edition of the gorilla naming ceremony, Kwita Izina, recently; tell us what your experience was a tour consultant. This is really an amazing activity and a way of marketing Rwanda beyond borders which is a plus to the tour operators. We need more of this as the international community have become aware of the same and are always asking for their invites way before time. It has made Rwanda known by word-of-mouth marketing. You handle many calls from potential visitors to the country on a daily basis. What are the things they like to know most about the country before they visit? For any traveler the first thing they like to know is the security, which in Rwanda’s case is guaranteed. They also ask about the weather and what they need to bring along for the safari.