ORTPN plots for districts tourism plan

The Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) is putting forward a plan to decentralise the tourism development campaign. The move revealed on phone Monday by the ORTPN’s Tourism Inspection Manager, Callixte Twagirimana is aimed at empowering districts to own all tourism development activities. Twagirimana noted that the deal will ensure districts compile monthly reports on tourism issues for the ORPTN every mid month for further reforms in the sector. The reports are expected to focus on tourism investment opportunities and how to double the inspection exercise of those engaged in tourism ventures at district level. “Their focussed tourism plan and inspection would help us to assess whether the sector’s national development initiatives could meet the challenge,” he said. The plan will be sending a strong message to the central government that a comprehensive package of tourism investment must be helpful if the needed growth is to be sustainable. He said that more district consultative meetings for additional efforts are being urged for, adding it to the national tourism plan already in the process. “We are still overstretched by the inspection work of the tourism product and service standards,” Twagirimana said, adding that this will be eased by the districts engagement. ORTPN is also enhancing Community based tourism in various parts of the country with local people expected to give tourism extra value. Meanwhile, efforts to build cordial relations of local communities with National Parks to help fight human encroachment haven’t fully borne fruit. The Akagera National Park where some of the community-based tourism activities are being encouraged was last week gutted by a fire allegedly set by poachers. But reports from the park authorities say that five of the suspected poachers have been arrested by police investigating the cause of the incident. Ends