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Rwanda’s Festival of the Gorillas becomes annual tourist destination

Kwita Izina 2013 will name a dozen new gorilla babies

Rwanda’s Festival of the Gorillas becomes annual tourist destination

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Correspondent, Africa

(eTN) - When the Rwanda Development Board’s (RDB) Tourism and Conservation Department holds their annual Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony on Saturday, June 22, at Kinigi, outside Volcano ...

Rwanda government introduces new draft tourism bill to parliament

strengthening the tourism sector

Rwanda government introduces new draft tourism bill to parliament

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Correspondent, Africa

(eTN) - Rwanda’s government yesterday presented a new draft tourism bill to parliament, aimed to strengthen the sector through better regulations and legal provisions.

Rwanda launches preparations for inaugural Miss Tourism event

2013 Miss Tourism Rwanda Event

Rwanda launches preparations for inaugural Miss Tourism event

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Rwanda’s first ever Miss Tourism contest will be underway on May 10th, when the 15 finalists, selected from Rwanda’s university and tourism colleges, will be revealed and introduced to ...

Key highways to tourist sites in Rwanda blocked by landslides

from Kigali to Musane, Ruhengeri

Key highways to tourist sites in Rwanda blocked by landslides

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Africa Correspondent

(eTN) - One of Rwanda’s most important traffic arteries, the highway from Kigali to Musanze, and from there on to Gisenyi, was yesterday completely blocked on the weekend when a landslide took ...

Rwanda government halts hotel sale

part of Gadaffi hotel empire

Rwanda government halts hotel sale

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - As ties with the new Libyan government continue to improve, news broke that the Rwandan government, initially intent to sell off the Umubano Hotel, halted the sale when Laico Hotels failed ...

Rwanda Development Board prepares Musanze cave for tourist visits

Rwanda tourism

Rwanda Development Board prepares Musanze cave for tourist visits

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - The Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department will within the space of the next few weeks officially launch a new tourism site, a cave in the Musanze District which ...

Swiss school to build hotel training facility in Rwanda

Rwandan tourism

Swiss school to build hotel training facility in Rwanda

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - A regular source from Kigali has sent information that Rwanda’s Workplace Development Authority (WDA) has apparently entered into an agreement with Swiss-based Les Roches International ...

Chinese company wins tender for new Bugesera Airport in Rwanda

Rwanda aviation

Chinese company wins tender for new Bugesera Airport in Rwanda

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - News broke a few days ago that Rwanda had finally awarded the contract for the new international airport at Bugesera to the winning bidder, the China State Construction Engineering ...

Rica Rwigamba takes over Chair of GVTC

Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration in Rwanda

Rica Rwigamba takes over Chair of GVTC

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) – The Rwanda Development Board’s (RDB) Head of Tourism and Conservation, Rica Rwigamba, took over as Chairperson of the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) yesterday.

Dance your heart out at FESPAD 2013

Panafrican Dance Festival in Rwanda

Dance your heart out at FESPAD 2013

The 8th edition of the Panafrican Dance Festival (FESPAD 2013) is taking place in Rwanda right now. This week-long event began with the Opening Ceremony that took place on February 24, 2013.

When FESPAD turned into a WETPAD

Storm blows out opening ceremony but not Rwandan spirit

When FESPAD turned into a WETPAD

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - The combined opinion Friday at the Amahoro National Stadium was that “someone somewhere’” was responsible for the complete washout, in fact blowout, of the opening ceremony as it was ...

Rwanda's tourism revenue up 17 percent

Rwanda's tourism sector registered tremendous growth

Rwanda's tourism revenue up 17 percent

Rwanda's tourism sector registered tremendous growth as the revenue generated increased by 17% last year compared to 2011.

Rwanda Development board set to grade 30 more hotels this year

ensuring standards and quality of tourism establishments

Rwanda Development board set to grade 30 more hotels this year

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Information was confirmed from a regular source in Kigali, that the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department will grade at least 30 more hotels this year, following ...

Rwanda striving to make hospitality training a greater priority

field study results

Rwanda striving to make hospitality training a greater priority

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - The Tourism Chamber, part of the Private Sector Federation in Rwanda, has recently completed a field study aimed at establishing service levels and competence among staff encountered in ...

International Coalition of Tourism Partners applauds Rwanda for tourism vision

Rwanda ends visa requirements for African nationals

International Coalition of Tourism Partners applauds Rwanda for tourism vision

HALEIWA, Hawaii, USA; BRUSSELS, Belgium; VICTORIA, Seychelles; BALI, Indonesia - From 2013 onwards, Rwanda will open up its tourism export market by eliminating visa requirements for African ...

Rwanda scraps visa in advance rule for African nationals

Visa on demand

Rwanda scraps visa in advance rule for African nationals

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - In a remarkable departure from common practice among African states, Rwanda just declared that come January 1 ALL African nationals will be issued visa on arrival, sparing them the often ...

Globe spots put Rwanda in top ten global tourism destinations

Spotlight on Rwanda

Globe spots put Rwanda in top ten global tourism destinations

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - One of the world’s leading guide publications, Globe Spot, has named Rwanda as their top 6th global destination, the highest scoring African country in their top 10, with Mozambique in ...

Congo’s regime troops fire into Rwanda

blatant act of aggression

Congo’s regime troops fire into Rwanda

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - In what has been described as a blatant act of aggression and an overt attempt to drag Rwanda into the civil conflict raging in the Eastern Congo, regime soldiers have fired mortar rounds ...

Tour du Rwanda 2012 underway

Sports tourism in Rwanda

Tour du Rwanda 2012 underway

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Rwanda’s annual cycling tour is underway at the national Amahoro Stadium with the first of the 8 stages this year taking riders across the capital of Kigali.

Rwanda launches second phase of grading and classification of hotels

Tourism and Conservation Department of Rwanda Development Board

Rwanda launches second phase of grading and classification of hotels

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Information was received from Kigali overnight that the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department is now embarking on phase two of the ongoing grading and ...

Rwanda’s tourism registers unabated growth

Tourism receipt figures climb

Rwanda’s tourism registers unabated growth

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Information made public yesterday in Kigali show a continued strong sectoral growth for the tourism sector in Rwanda, which besides exports of tea and coffee, continues to form a backbone ...

Rwanda's tour and safari guides get professional ratings

Rwandan Tourism

Rwanda's tour and safari guides get professional ratings

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

KAMPALA, Uganda (eTN) - The efforts to inject professionalism into Rwanda’s tourism industry, supported by government via the Rwanda Development Board, the Private Sector Federation’s tourism ...

Clinton set to arrive in Uganda to discuss Congo fighting

fight for control of rich mining areas

Clinton set to arrive in Uganda to discuss Congo fighting

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

UGANDA (eTN) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to arrive in Uganda this coming Tuesday for discussions with President Museveni on the renewed crisis in Eastern Congo, where intense ...

Rwanda Tourism University College now able to offer degree courses

cleared by Rwandan educational authorities to commence full degree program

Rwanda Tourism University College now able to offer degree courses

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Started in 2006, when the college could only offer vocational training and certificate or diploma courses, the Rwanda Tourism University College (RTUC) has been cleared by the Rwandan ...

Eighth annual gorilla naming festival in Rwanda

Kwita Izina 2012 - eTN writer in Rwanda

Eighth annual gorilla naming festival in Rwanda

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - The eighth annual gorilla-naming festival, now globally known as Kwita Izina, has over the years named 141 young, newly-born baby gorillas, with each and every one of them given a name, ...

Rwanda celebrates the birth of 19 baby gorillas

Annual Kwita Izina ceremony to name the babies

Rwanda celebrates the birth of 19 baby gorillas

KIGALI, Rwanda - Rwanda will for the 8th time celebrate the birth of 19 baby gorillas and the naming of 1 female adult at this year’s annual Kwita Izina ceremony scheduled for June 16, 2012, ...

Rwanda formally launches automated immigration control for nationals

Groundbreaking new technology

Rwanda formally launches automated immigration control for nationals

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - The test phase successfully concluded, saw the automated passenger arrival system for Rwandese nationals now formally launched at Kigali’s Kanombe International Airport.

Rwandan genocide memorial sites hope to gain UNESCO World Heritage status

Genocide Memorial Sites In Rwanda

Rwandan genocide memorial sites hope to gain UNESCO World Heritage status

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Rwanda plans to submit four genocide memorial sites into the coveted list of UNESCO World Heritage sites as part of a tentative list.

Rosette Rugamba graduates from Aspen’s Global leadership course

Aspen Leadership Initiative

Rosette Rugamba graduates from Aspen’s Global leadership course

By Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Rosette Chantal Rugamba, well remembered for her time at the helm of ORTPN and then as Deputy CEO in charge of Tourism and Conservation at the Rwanda Development Board, has last week ...

Rwanda Development Board responds with better service campaign

Responding to tourism campaign for Rwanda

Rwanda Development Board responds with better service campaign

By Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Uganda

(eTN) - Hot on the heels of growing demands by the private sector stakeholders that Rwanda needs more training for staff working in the hospitality industry, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) for ...

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