Burundi tourist arrivals: are they improving?

Burundi, East Africa’s smallest economy and hardly explored by tourists so far, hopes for a major boost in popularity translating in greater visitor numbers, now that FlyDubai has put the country on the map when launching flights twice a week via Entebbe later in September.

Hitherto connected to the world by Brussels Airlines, and to the region and beyond by Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir, Burundi’s main airport in Bujumbura has not exactly seen a great deal of action and the arrival of the Gulf’s leading low-cost carrier is bound to raise interest and drive up numbers.

In 2011, 43.,164 passengers arrived at the airport on flights from abroad with Burundians returning from their foreign travel making the bulk of those passengers. In 2012, that number slightly reduced to 42,147 arriving passengers before rising again in 2013 to more than double that number when 89,104 arriving passengers were counted.

In addition to the airport arrivals do visitors, mainly from the region, also arrivals across the land borders, from Rwanda, Tanzania, and Congo, are helping to fill local hotels.

Burundi’s tourism office has been attending major regional and international trade shows and tourism exhibitions in recent years and has, under a new leadership, started to make waves, showcasing the country through events and festivals, giving hope that the long wait to become part of a wider East African safari itinerary may at last be fulfilled. For more information about Destination Burundi click on www.burundi-tourism.com