The long awaited construction of a cable car up to the top of the volcanoes in Northern Rwanda will soon become a reality. Not only will it be a new addition to the tourism circuit, it will also pave way to the speedy realisation of many important projects; especially the flagship Kalisimbi Project. Kalisimbi encompasses an airspace management platform, a climate observatory station run in conjunction with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, and a digital broadcasting infrastructure. So the cable car will open new opportunities up the 4,500-metre mountain, and this is the time for innovators to get on the drawing board. When lions were reintroduced in Akagera National Park, tourist numbers peaked to an all time high, especially local visitors. Lions had been extinct in the last decade due to human-wildlife conflicts. Now that issue is no more as an electric fence was installed around the boundaries of the park. Nyungwe National Park was an isolated poachers’ paradise before tourism officials took a keen interest. Today, a five-star lodge and the unique canopy walk have put it on the tourism map and it is teeming with visitors. Rwanda is now a tourism destination of choice where safety, good communication networks and unique tourism experiences go beyond the mountain gorilla trail. Many tourism packages are cropping up but local investors are slow in taking advantage of what is on offer. But it is encouraging to note that not everyone is asleep. Some women groups have opened their doors to backpackers and now have guided tours in one of the most popular neighbourhood; Nyamirambo. So let Kalisimbi be the new frontier to conquer.
