RDB pitches investment opportunities along Kivu Belt

Rwanda Development Board has announced investment opportunities in Kivu Belt, a place that has been dubbed the “hotbed for luxury and leisure tourism.” Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Hotel Investment Forum, underway in Kigali, the Chief Tourism Officer at RDB, Belise Kariza, encouraged participants to discover the various investment opportunities, especially the Kivu Belt in western Rwanda. The Africa Hotel Investment Forum is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa, attracting many prominent international hotel owners, investors, financiers and management companies. The forum provides a platform for exchange of information, transfer of knowledge and, more importantly, it serves an occasion to pitch Rwanda as the ideal investment destination to decision makers in the hotel investors. “Rwanda is a strategic investment choice primarily because we provide a supportive business environment with all necessary services available online 24/7. With tourism being the country’s mainstay, the government is a key stakeholder and has taken great care to develop the necessary infrastructure to support the growth of the sector, such as strong roads, water supply and electricity,” Kariza said in a statement. She underlined key investment opportunities present, including hotspring eco-tourism resort on Rubavu Peninsula, an entertainment and leisure complex in Rubavu, a five-star golf resort and residential villas, an ecolodge on Gihaya Island, a premium boutique hotel and tourism centre in Rusizi and the completion of a five-star conference and leisure hotel in Rusizi District. A journalists asks a question during the press conference. / Timothy Kisambira The respective projects range in value, from $50 up to $152 million. Western Province is a popular tourist destination for its vicinity to Volcanoes National Park, home of mountain gorillas, and its offering of lakeside resorts and water sports. According to tourism statistics, the industry registered more than $340 million in revenues in 2015, representing a 10 per cent increase from 2014. The Government seeks to achieve an ambitious 25 per cent increase in tourism revenues every year. “As we develop more tourism packages, it is important that we diversify our offering in terms of luxury accommodations and amenities for our clients. Lake Kivu is literally a paradise on earth and presents the opportunity for Rwanda to become a resort destination,” Kariza added. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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RDB pitches investment opportunities along Kivu Belt