RWANDA will, for the first time, soon take part in Miss Tourism Global. The beauty pageant aims at showcasing touristic adventures around the world, as beauty queens showcase their domestic tourist sites and promote them at a global level. While several African countries have participated in the past, it will be the first time that Rwanda will take part in the popular beauty contest which draws contestants from all over the world. Paulette Ndekwe, the country representative of Embrace Africa, Rwanda (the mediator organization for the beauty pageant), said that the previous year, more Rwandan girls emerged and showcased their talents, hence being recognized by the organisers. “More Rwandan candidates showed interest last year, and this showed the organisers that Rwandan beauty queens can also compete. That is how we were added to the contestants list,” she commented. Ndekwe added that former Rwandan beauty queens from other pageants seem to be more interested in the crown. “We are receiving applications from former Miss Rwanda contestants and former Miss Supranational contestants, among others who want to vie for the crown, and we are optimistic they will excel,” she told The New Times. She is also of the view that this will serve as a great platform for Rwandans to show the world where Rwanda is today in terms of tourism. The third edition, which is slated for September 2021, will take place in China and so far, 54 contestants from different countries have already been confirmed. The winner will go home with $10,000 and $5,000 for the second runner-up. In addition, all the beauty queens will have a chance to promote their domestic tourist sites that can be promoted at an international level. Miss Tourism Global was started in 2018 by Global International Corps, a non-profit organization whose core values are promoting tourism through beauty queens, among others.
