Hotel standards to be launched next month

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) through its agency, RDB/Tourism, will officially release hotel standards, considered to provide roadmap that is crucial for developing the industry. These standards will be released on november 5th. The objective is to create awareness for the overall standards of Rwandan hotels by benchmarking and aligning local standards with regional and internationally accepted standards and practices. Rwandan hotels have been operating with out any standards. Frank Murangwa, the Tourism Inspection Officer at RDB told Business Times in an interview that with knowledge on hotel standards it will promote healthy competition within the Rwandan tourism industry and compete favorably in the stiff EAC market. Different strategies are in place to increase the turnover from the industry, which is among the country’s leading revenue earners. “We want to have an improved and organized industry by availing them with standards to be followed and abided,” Murangwa said. Some of the strategies include tourism master plan, revised tourism policy and intending to provide tourism bill. According to Murangwa, the hotel standards include basic guidelines to start up a hotel business and details of classification, especially standards of safety, hygiene, environment and service. Classification of Rwandan hotels to the East African Community standards is set to end this year but only seven local hotels are said be meeting the basic requirements for classification. “Classification of hotels will put Rwanda on the world map because these are basics considered by tourists before coming,” he said. After standards are availed and followed it will inspire international confidence and gain Promoting conference tourism and promote sustainable growth of the hotel industry. Ends

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Hotel standards to be launched next month