The Success of Tourism in Rwanda : Gorillas and More

Asserts that Rwanda has changed and is presently considered one of the safest African destinations allowing for the revival of gorilla tourism while maintaining conservation and contributing to poverty reduction through community involvement. Rwanda's national parks also offer a range of wildli...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nielsen, Hannah, Spenceley, Anna
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC: World Bank 2012
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9240
Description
Summary:Asserts that Rwanda has changed and is presently considered one of the safest African destinations allowing for the revival of gorilla tourism while maintaining conservation and contributing to poverty reduction through community involvement. Rwanda's national parks also offer a range of wildlife and biodiversity Furthermore, the country has succeeded in attracting large numbers of business and conference travelers, mainly from the DRC as well as neighboring countries of the East African Community (EAC).In addition, Rwanda has always seen tourism as an instrument to reduce poverty, for example, by directly involving local communities. Challenges remaining for Rwandan government include a skills deficit in service-oriented fields, an overreliance on gorilla tourism, limited access to finance, need to comply with international standards of hotel management, and inadequate airport infrastructure.