Rwanda and Kenya sign deal to promote Tourism

Rwanda and Kenya signed a deal in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Thursday, to jointly promote increase of travellers between the two countries. The Rwandan ambassador to Kenya Dr. Richard Masozera signed on behalf of Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Rwanda Chamber of Tourism (RCOT). The partnership was signed on the Kenyan side by the Chief Executive of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (Kata) Agnes Mucuha and Fred Odek, the Chairman of the East African Tourism Platform (EATP).

Rwanda air to offer discount on air tickets to Kenyan travelers to Rwanda

Under the partnership, the institutions from Rwanda and Kenya will work together in developing joint marketing strategies with the facilitation of the East African Tourism Platform. RDB Chief Executive Clare Akamanzi said they look forward to working more closely across the board with all the players in the travel and tourism industry.

 “Kenya and Rwanda are already one of the most popular destinations for the growing regional tourism market,” she said. The move for Rwanda and Kenya to jointly promote tourism business was seen as a great advantage towards East African Community integration ambition of enabling free movement of people within the region, as well as facilitating the development of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in general.

Rwanda Air country manager Fred Okumu promised to support the deal where Kenyan travelers to Rwanda will be given discounts on air tickets and holiday packages. OKumu also said that presently, an average of 1,000 passengers travel between Kigali and Nairobi every month.

Tourism is one of the top income earning industries for both Kenya and Rwanda, but the impact of the Corona virus pandemic has greatly affected the industry by cutting down the projected revenues. Both local and international flights have been reduced significantly due to a low number of travelers.  In 2019, Kenya recorded revenue of 164 billion Kenya shillings (1.52billion US dollars), while in the same year, Rwanda earned 498 million US dollars, of which 14% came from mountain gorilla trekking.  By June last year, the Kenyan tourism Minister Najib Balala said that Kenya had lost 80 billion shillings ($752 milllion) in tourism revenue.

Commenting about the joint strategy to promote tourism between Rwanda and Kenya, the Kata CEO expressed optimism that the collaboration will allow for greater sharing of ideas, resources and expertise.

Aimable Rutagarama, the Chairperson of Rwanda Chamber of Tourism who has vast experience of working with the tourism sector in both  Kenya and Rwanda observed that,  “Rwanda and Kenya are adored by local and foreign visitors alike, and this increased cooperation between the two countries will see an uptick in the numbers of travellers interested in visiting both countries. The strategic partnership lays strong foundations to tap the potential of Kenya and Rwanda as a promising traveller destination for the regional and international market.” Both Rwanda air and Kenya Airways operate daily flights between Kigali and Nairobi, and the direct flight distance takes only one hour.