Tourism sector opportunities should be fully exploited

Rwanda has been ranked among the top five emerging destinations during the 2011 Wanderlust Travel Awards. It is the only African country named in the top five by the British travel magazine in the worldwide poll. Rwanda, as noted by the magazine, is now on the travel map. There have been deliberate efforts, in recent years, on the part of the government to promote the country as a tourist destination. And these efforts have paid off as evidenced by the many tourists, who chose Rwanda as their destination, and numerous awards the country has won in the sector. This resurgent position in the tourism sector, offers opportunities for investors to exploit. It is evident that the number of tourists travelling to Rwanda will increase in the future, and this necessitates infrastructure to complement what is already in place, appropriate training in hospitality and related tourism industry services. This is an opportunity that the private sector can exploit and help take the tourism industry to the next level. Travel and tour agencies, need to work on increasing accommodation facilities not only for high end tourists, but also for budget travellers like backpackers, who are increasingly attracted to Rwanda. Ends