In a bid to promote the country’s tourism, the government puts lots of effort to diversify tourism activities each year. In the year 2012, there was the launch of birding tourism, of the Congo Nile Trail along the shores of Lake Kivu, the restoration of Royal heritage sites, and the opening up of the Musanze caves for visitors, which today have contributed to the Rwandan tourism success story, still showing growth when the sector began to falter in other countries in the region. For Rwanda’s economy, tourism remains the country’s main foreign exchange earner hence lots of effort have been geared towards its diversification so as to attract large numbers of travelers into the destination.
As of 2011, there were indications given by officials that the Gishwati National Forest was earmarked to be turned into a national park, similar to Nyungwe, which has become a real crowd puller in part for having East Africa’s only canopy walk in a rainforest on offer. It was now reliably learned that a bill to facilitate this transition will be tabled in parliament soon, which when passed, will also support the national environmental and forestry policy to increase the country’s forest areas to 30 percent over the coming years.
Bodies governing tourism in the country have already approved the move and fully support the government effort saying it will give the travel sector an added attraction. The park is easily accessible through Gisenyi along the Congo Nile Trail. The adjoining Mukura forest will also be made part of the new national park, raising the overall area to nearly 3,500 hectares under close protection by the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department.
The government reports that, by the time of the biggest Rwanda tourism annual ceremony – the Kwita Izina, the annual gorilla naming festival in late June, the new bill is likely to be either before parliament or may even have been passed, which would be a prime opportunity for Rwanda to tell the global media present for the event of the new development. Home to an isolated group of chimpanzees and other primates, conservationists consider the linkage between Gishwati, Mukuram, and Nyungwe crucial to the survival of the species, and this latest development is bound to raise excitement in their circles, while also offering tourists over the coming years yet another place they can visit when in the “Land of a Thousand Hill.”
TO BOOK THIS TRIP,
Related Tours
3 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour
Book a 3 Days Uganda gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi Impenetrable forest park home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. The forest is the first center for Uganda gorilla safaris having over 15 gorilla families habituated for trekking. Bwindi is also home to 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species.Read More
3 Days Murchison Falls Np Tour
3 Days Murchison falls wildlife tour to for fantastic game viewing in search for African lion, herds of Elephant, Buffaloes, Giraffes, Antelopes, etc, and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls to see Hippos & huge crocodiles.Read More
3 Days Tour to Semuliki National park
Join a 3 Days Uganda tour to Semuliki valley national park fo game viewing, bird watching and visiting the hot springs. The park is one of Uganda’s least visited parks which give travelers with an off beaten kind of experience. Expect to see many birds and wildlife less exploited. Read More
7 Days Uganda Safari
Join a 7 Days Uganda Safari for game viewing and boat cruising at Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest and Mountain gorilla watching in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park. You will also trek golden monkeys in Mgahinga gorilla national park as well as visiting various conservation projects in Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla national parks. Read More
3 Days Rwanda Double Gorilla Trek
The 3 Days double gorilla trek in Rwanda offers travelers exceptional gorilla encounters in Volcanoes national park. The two involve trekking gorilla two times rewarding travelers with extended time with the gentle giants in the jungle. The tour starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. Read More