Rwanda’s aggressive approach towards tourism looks to reach its climax as Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in partnership with Kigali City Tour company have launched double decker buses which will help tourists to take tours around Kigali city.
The initiative is designed to boast tourism activities in Kigali city which is often overlooked by tourists in favor of more attractive places like Gorilla national park, Akagera national park and Nungwe forest.
Nevertheless, Kigali has so many packages to offer both historically and in developmental features. Places like Kigali Genocide Memorial Cite, Richard Kandt museum and Liberation museum, among others, keep a wide range of history which is a good source of knowledge to Kigali tourists.
As a growing city, Kigali, which is now 112 years old, has other developmental features which can thrill visitors. Kigali Convention Center (KCC), Kigali Public Library and gorgeous hotels like Kigali Marriot Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel, are just other places which need a look while hanging around in this amazing city.
All these opportunities, however, haven’t completely been exploited because there was no proper way to help tourists, both locals and foreigners, to travel across Kigali in comfortable and organized manner.
Kigali City Tour, a company which drives tourists around the city, has then capitalized on this opportunity by importing double decker buses which will be driving tourists in almost all parts of Kigali.
The project, which officially was launched this Thursday, 21st March, will be run by Kigali City Tour in partnership with RDB and it will be done through three sessions.
The first will be projected to show tourists ‘the old parts of Kigali’, including Nyamirambo, Kimisagara, Nyabugogo and Biryogo. It will start at 9am. The second part will be showing ‘new part of Kigali’ and will tour places like Nyarutarama, Kacyiru, Kibagabaga and Gishushu.
The third session is ‘Kigali night life’ which intends to show tourists the great views of Kigali city during nights. To obtain these views, this particular session will be taken in upper Rebero places so that tourists will be viewing the city’s lights so well.
All sessions will be started and concluded at KBC.
INCREASE OF TOURISTS PROMPTED THE PROJECT
Augustin Munyandamutsa, managing director of Kigali Tour Ltd has revealed that the project’s main purpose is to give other touristic options to a growing number of tourists which roll in Kigali continuously.
“The number of visitors to Kigali is increasing, without more tourism products on the market, tourists might not spend a lot of time in the country. We hope that our new products will increase the number of tourists and so the number of activities on which tourists can spend their money on.” He said.
Tourism is a booming industry in Rwanda as it is estimated that almost 1.3 million people enter the country for touristic purposes. This industry also plays a huge role in stabilizing the country’s economy as it is the first foreign exchange service with annual revenue of more than $400 million. The government also targets the industry as it looks to exercise all possibilities in order to double its income to $800 million per year by 2024. This particular project is expected to add more fuel among other efforts in place to achieve this intended target.
BeliseKaliza, the chief Operating Officer in charge of tourism at RDB, mentioned that “Rwanda positions itself as high end destination’ and so this project is “particularly important when there are many delegates, especially those coming for meetings.”
Rwanda is the thirdmost favored destination to host foreign meetings in Africa with 28,308 delegates received in 2017, injecting $42 million in the country’s economy. The target was to increase these figures to $74 million in 2018. The buses will help short term tourists, like these attending meetings, to entertain themselves without leaving from Kigali, which normally hosts almost all these high level meetings.
The mayor of Nyarugenge district, one of three to form Kigali city, on her side, understands the need to provide these services and encourages more investors to ‘exploit other opportunities’ in the city which are still untapped.
Double Decker buses, nicknamed ‘Sightseeing’ will be capable of driving 64 people in total. It will cost $25 for Rwandans and East African nationals while it will be only $50 for foreigners.
The buses, which cost RWF160 million, are equipped with toilet, air conditioner, WI-FI, charging portals and digital screens. One bus will be able to serve 200 people per day.
NDAHAYO Emmanuel
The Express News
