Rwanda has over the last 30 years made significant strides in terms of growth in all areas, and the art and tourism industries were no exception. Popularly known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, Rwanda is endowed with extraordinary biodiversity and different tourist destinations that attract thousands of tourists yearly. A video series titled 'Artistic Creativity and Travel Delights: Rwanda’s charm, explores the key role that tourism, entertainment and the arts industry have played in Rwanda’s economic growth, social cohesion and reconciliation. The Volcanoes National Park, which is home to endangered mountain gorillas, is one of the tourist destination in Rwanda and has played a key role both for the national economy and improvement of livelihoods amongst communities around the park. Among the beneficiaries of the park is Volonte Ihirwe, 21, the youngest park ranger in Rwanda who looks out for the mountain gorillas in their habitat. Ihirwe highlights her love for nature and conservation, and how it pushed her to pursue a career as a park ranger from such a tender age. The young park ranger also commends the park’s role in providing jobs for communities around it, urging more young people, especially females, to join the male-dominated industry to protect the rare species. The involvement of communities around the park in conservation has been a key milestone in Rwanda’s conservation journey, where many former poachers have been co-opted in different conservation activities. Thriving art scene Rwanda is also home to a thriving art scene, from the music and performing art to the growing film industry, the local entertainment sector has emerged as a powerful tool for storytelling. Among frontrunners of Rwanda’s entertainment industry is Mani Martin, a Rwandan musician popularly known for fusing afrobeat with modern sounds, who also shares his music journey on the episode. According to the ‘Destiny’ hit producer, making a living as a Rwandan artiste was difficult back in the days, but today, the country has empowered everyone including artistes to work. “When we were starting, there was no Rwandan content played on the radio. But today one can spend 30 days listening to Rwandan music on radio,” narrates the artist. Mani Martin believes that the current Rwanda is a vibrant country that has a lot to offer to the world and the sounds produced in the country are no exception. “I like to describe Rwanda as a piece of music. When we are making music, we fuse different sounds so that they can make one enjoyable song. I describe Rwanda as a strong culture that comes from that harmony of people,” he added. Rwanda’s entertainment and tourism are testament to Rwanda’s 30-year journey of post Genocide resilience and reconstruction.
