A new calendar for tourists

KIGALI - The first ever calendar with listings of cultural and tourist events was released on Wednesday. It will act as a central resource for tourists, expatriates and locals wanting to know about goings on in Rwanda. The events calendar aims to promote Rwanda’s tourism industry that hopes to attract 6,000 tourists this year. Revenues are estimated to reach $68m (Frw36.900b). The calendar was released by the Ministry of Culture and Sports (MIJESPOC), in association with the Office Rwandais Du Tourisme Et Des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN) and Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA). Chantal Rugamba, director general of ORTPN, said the introduction of the calendar concurs with Rwanda’s efforts to promote tourism as a fundamental contributor to economic development. Rugamba explained that they are hoping to increase the number of days tourists stay from the current average between three and seven days. “The longer a tourist stays the more he spends. This will certainly result in higher revenues,” she said. Rugamba said that the country has to offer a wide variety of tourist attractions to encourage tourists to stay longer. There are thus attempts to diversify the sector, which has until now relied on the gorilla trekking as its main attraction. The industry hopes to increase the number of tradtional song and dance performances. The calendar will be published monthly and will contain event listings provided by hotels, tour operators, and cultural associations. The calendar can be viewed on ORTPN and PSF websites.Ends