RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD LAUNCHES NEW ‘BIRD ROUTES’
RDB – Tourism and Conservation in conjunction with the Rwanda Birding Association has launched three new routes for tourists visiting the East of the country. John Gara, the Chief Executive of the Rwanda Development Board was at hand for the launch, as was Ms. Rica Rwigamba, Head of the Tourism and Conservation division of RDB, signifying the importance attached to this latest diversification effort to widen the reach and appeal for tourists to come to Rwanda.
Rwanda has designated about 10 percent of its geographical area as important bird watching areas, and with over 650 species of birds, many of them endemic to Rwanda, ‘birders’ can be assured to rich pickings when travelling across the country in search of rare species.
None of the new routes is however inside national parks, signifying another new approach to bring tourism benefits to more parts of the country and underscoring the efforts by the Rwanda government to protect biodiversity not just in designated protected areas but all over the country. The new routes will be managed by local communities in conjunction with RDB and the Rwanda Birding Association has been training bird guides for a while now to be ready for the launch of the new tourism products. Well done indeed.
