Regional
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.