KWITA IZINA WEEK KICKS OFF WITH TOURISM AND CONSERVATION EXHIBITION
(Posted 28th August 2016)
The 1st Kwita Izina Conservation and Tourism exhibition organized alongside the 12th Kwita Izina/ Gorilla naming ceremony is taking place at the new Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village. Local, regional and international exhibitors from the tourism and conservation sector participated by attending and showcasing their products and services in this inaugural event. Both private and public sectors and development partners from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Zimbabwe represented their countries as a symbol of the shared passion in conservation that helps all to come together to achieve both individual as well as countries’ goals.
The tourism and conservation exhibition is the second event preceding the highly anticipated Kwita Izina baby gorilla naming ceremony which will take place on Friday 02nd September in Kinigi near the town of Musanze outside the Volcanoes National Park. The three day event, which commenced yesterday, will be open until August 29, i.e. end of Monday and the general public was able to attend and participate all of today. The aim of this event is to create a platform to raise awareness about our countries’ conservation efforts and also promote the different destinations.
The Rwanda Development Board’s Chief Executive Officer Francis Gatare said when opening the event: ‘We are delighted to offer all guests the most hospitable welcome to Rwanda, you have all chosen to be part of this very important exhibition because of our mutual interest in sustainable tourism development. This is the first edition of the Rwanda Conservation and tourism exhibition but we will continue to organize it and grow with it, we therefore urge conservationists, exhibitors and tour operators from all over the world to participate‘.
The Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board Ms. Belise Kariza also thanked the exhibitors and added that, ‘the Gorilla naming ceremony is the most important annual national conservation and tourism event on the Rwandan calendar, it is not only a celebration of our conservation success story but a hybrid platform of events and a series of activities focused on conservation and sustainable tourism‘.
The tourism and conservation exhibition platform intends to renew and enhance contacts for sales and partnerships, get more exposure for countries as tourism destinations, meet and network with various local, regional and international operators and learn and share the most current trends in promoting sustainable tourism.
For added information about Destination Rwanda click on www.rwandatourism.com
