10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF KWITA IZINA 2014 SET TO NAME 16 YOUNGBORN GORILLAS
(Posted 10th May 2014)
Rwanda’s highest profile tourism and conservation event, Kwita Izina, the festival of naming the young born mountain gorillas, this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. From humble beginnings as a one day event it grew to be one of the East African region’s foremost conservation events and now is a week-long affair, often combining cross country cycling races, community celebrations, inauguration of projects financed by the 5 percent share of gorilla tracking receipts and symposia where experts from around the world lecture, speak and interact with regional counterparts. Also held are art and conservation exhibitions, concerts and regular B2B sessions for the regional tourism fraternity attending the event. And then of course there is the grand finale, this year on the 21st of June at Kinigi outside Musanze as the entrance of the Volcanoes National Park to name the 16 young born in a globally broadcast ceremony.
This year’s theme for Kwita Izina has been given as ‘Conservation – Community Empowerment – Business Growth’ which will be present throughout the run up of the event and will appear on all media releases and public posters which are now starting to appear around Kigali and the country.
RwandAir is connecting visitors to the event from the entire Eastern African region, from South and from West Africa, besides their flights from Dubai (www.rwandair.com) and transport from Kigali to Musanze and on to Kinigi is available through regular scheduled bus departures from the main bus terminal in Kigali at a very reasonable cost. Hotels and lodges in and near Musanze will be quite full so check out www.theeye.co.rw for information in their hotel section and make early bookings to avoid disappointment. Access to the public area for spectators in Kinigi is free of charge. For more information visit www.rdb.rw or www.rwandatourism.com
