It is easy to fall in love with Rwanda–the world renowned land of 1000 hills.
From the gorilla trekking that attracts thousands of tourists annually, to expanding infrastructure, preserving its past that tells the story of how far it has come in recent years, and the peaceful transition with ample security and harmony among its population, Rwanda has won global acclaim.
To boot, it now ranks as one of the best countries in the central African region whose ease of doing business is attracting foreign investment, helping embrace a new narrative and ambition, moving away from an old era of genocide that saw thousands of its population perish three decades ago.
“I came as a tourist and decided to stay permanently after I saw ample opportunities for business and in Rwanda, there is no corruption and you feel there is a functioning public service and system that benefits everyday people and is what is attracting people from other nations,” FasilTilahun,an Ethiopian entrepreneur, said as he contemplates a future in Rwanda.
He is not alone.
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His friend, Negus Mengesha, an Ethiopian coffee exporter was the first to visit Rwanda last year. With conflicts raging at home, he wanted to scout for farms big enough to sustain his business in Rwanda. He was surprised to discover how cheap lands are compared to the ones in Ethiopia and the security situation above all else is what attracted him.
“For me, Rwanda is the ultimate African destination which is clean, safe to raise a family and where you can be content and successful without venturing outside of the region and where it takes you half a day to register and commence your business,” he said.Heis planning to make Rwanda his permanent home by next year.
That is music to the ears of the Rwandan government.
Within the Rwandese expanding healthcare sector, there are hundreds of Ethiopian medical professionals that have moved to Rwanda, working in some of the most respected health institutions in the country, including King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in the capital led by ZerihunAbebe Bekele, who was a former CEO of Black Lion Teaching Hospital.
A recent recruit, who also used to work at Addis Ababa’s Black Lion Hospital and asked to remain anonymous, described his one-year experience working in Rwanda as a highlight of his career, he told The Reporter.
He said the investment in improving the health sector, the youthful population, and the security of the nation, as well as the passion of young Rwandans for the future of their country, is what attracted him most to Rwanda.
“Our hospital is well equipped, with a management that takes care of our well-being and a government that wants us to stay and be part of its growth and growth with it”, he said, adding, the school system, the green and clean space and affordable housing arrangement is what attracted him most.
In the last few decades, the government has taken great strides to make the nation of 14 million a hub for investment, building infrastructure, rooting out the corruption that has made similar African countries a place of corruption, and ensuring that bureaucracy is a thing of the past, allowing such vital people to move to Rwanda.
RWANDA’S MAJESTIC WILDLIFE
Within Rwanda’s four national parks, active conservation efforts are underway, including strict law enforcement and community-based initiatives that have shown promising results. In Akagera National Park—a park once plagued by poaching and a sharp decline in wildlife—the Rwandan government has partnered with African Parks to protect and restore its diverse animal populations.
“There are lions, elephants, and rhinos, as well as a unique bird-watching experience with over 500 recorded species, offering visitors something truly special,” said one tour guide.“Our effort is to preserve the area for future generations and to have our population place value in what we have and make poaching a thing of the past”, he said.
“We promote tourism and bring in resources in order to spend resources on these animals that are facing extinction,” he added.
There are now approximately 1000 such mountain gorillas between Rwanda, Uganda and Congo.With such concentrated effort, the numbers have grown slightly over the years.
One of the most popular tourist attractions is named KwitaIzina, a gorilla naming ceremony that attracts tourists from around the world. This is where each gorilla is named and a commitment to conserve and protect is celebrated. In the past, the ceremony has attracted stars such as international model Naomi Campbell, NE-YO and Ethiopia’s former Prime Minister, HailemariamDessalegn.
In 2022, a popular American comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres opened the Ellen DeGeneres Campus for Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund with an investment of over USD 13 million. Located just outside of the Volcanoes National Park, the campus is used to help preserve the local guerilla population, for research and help educate young people in the preservation of wild animals, helping make Rwanda an exemplary nation.
At Virunga Inn Resort & Spa—a boutique hotel nestled in the lush mountains near the gorilla habitats and not far from the university campus—an influx of tourists arrives, eager to see Rwanda’s famous gorillas. Founded by Omani entrepreneur Salim Al Bahir, the resort exemplifies the wave of successful foreign investments transforming Rwanda’s hospitality landscape.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see nature up-close and not in some zoo in Europe but within its inhabitants and along with other gorillas not confined in a small room with windows but in the mountains and wildlife of Rwanda,”an American tourist, Michael Dicknson told The Reporter, sharing the excitement of the half- dozen friends who have come to experience wildlife.
The Reporter was invited to see the gorillas with a group hike led by a professional guide. It was indeed an experience of a lifetime with a very close encounter with some of the most extinct wild animals in the world, including a gorilla baring a child that was days old.
One of the participants from the United Kingdom had traveled the world, but he thought Rwanda offered a unique experience for him.
With a camera in hand, he said this was something he had only seen from afar, in newspapers and magazines, and had not thought he would experience it in person.
“I just think, this experience will stay with me forever and this encounter is something to behold. I will encourage others to come and see it as well,” he said, promising he would join the many visitors who have now become Rwanda’s cultural ambassador.
The Rwandan government has invested heavily in attracting tourism. In the past decade alone, it has signed a sponsorship deal with Arsenal and others, bringing in ample visitors annually.
Now, it seems African tourists are beginning to see Rwanda as a worthwhile eco-tourism and wildlife destination as well.
In Addis Ababa, a ticket salesperson, Mesfin Yosef, has seen a rise in requests to visit Rwanda with its easy to attain visa policy.
In previous years, favorite destinations such as those in the coastal cities of Kenya and Tanzania coupled with Dubai has kept his business busy and running.
“More and more, I am getting phone calls, inquiries about Rwanda”, he said. “This is not just people actually purchasing tickets to Rwanda for business opportunities, but tourists who want to travel to its wilderness, for honeymoon purposes and to simply experience the renaissance of a nation.”
With an influx of tourists traveling to the East-Central Africa nation and entrepreneurs preferring Kigali, Rwanda is due to inaugurate a two billion USD airport in the suburbs of Kigali with the aim of serving eight million passengers annually by 2028. This is to complement the popular RwandaAir, which is expanding its operations to new destinations, and other European and African airlines that are adding new flights to help take advantage of the growing popularity of Rwanda.
This post was originally published on here
