NEW LODGE CONCESSION ADVERTISED FOR AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK
(Posted 08th August 2014)
African Parks, the managers of the Akagera National Park in Rwanda under a joint venture agreement with the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department, has officially advertised a new concession for a second lodge inside the park.
With a deadline of 29th of August for expressions of interest there is plenty of time to browse through the documents published by African Parks, ascertain that an applicant is actually meeting the criteria and participate in the first stage of the process of selection a concessionaire.
The park was of late in the news over the relocation of a pride of lions from Kenya, due in September, and the improvements on the electric fence, adding height and a bottom element to prevent the predators escape into neighbouring pastures for livestock.
The following documents were received and are shared to avail this opportunity to any interested party wanting to invest in Rwanda’s fast growing tourism sector.
Start quote:
1. Please find attached the Request for Expressions of Interest for the development of the first high-end safari lodge in Akagera National Park, Rwanda. Submission Deadline is 29th August 2014, at 10am.
2. This lodge is an exciting new chapter in the restoration of Akagera National Park (see brochure attached), and we’re looking for tourism partners with the same commitment to conservation to develop it. Please put us in touch with any tourism/lodge companies who might be interested in this opportunity, or forward this email directly to them. Appreciated. Let me know if you have any queries and I’ll give you a call.
The Opportunity:
1. African Parks has a contract to manage Akagera National Park for 20 years (commencing 2009), in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
2. Together we are rehabilitating the park: removing alien vegetation, erected a boundary fence on the western perimeter, improved law enforcement, upgraded and developed new roads, and established a visitor’s centre and a mid-level tented camp.
3. The new High-end Concession Zone in the North, a prime game-viewing area, will have limited access to preserve the high-end value of experience for concession guests.
4. Demand – Rwanda is a rapidly growing high-end tourism destination and increasingly a donor/business hub – Akagera is the only savannah park in Rwanda and offers excellent viewing of plains game.
5. Rwanda Safari Circuit – includes gorilla-viewing in Volcanoes NP, forest experience in Nyungwe NP, Genocide Memorial in Kigali.
6. Responsible Tourism – a conservation success story! 100% of concession fees and park entry fees go towards the park management budget, controlled by African Parks and RDB
7. Access – 3 hours drive from Kigali to lodge site; Kigali has good international airlift (Amsterdam, Brussels, Dubai, Doha, Johannesburg). Access via helicopter from Kigali and Volcanoes NP is an option
8. Secure country, secure park – effective cooperation with Rwanda Defense and Police Force inside the park to protect the wildlife and border region with Tanzania.
9. Funding – African Parks will endeavour to facilitate preferential funding for the lodge project.
10. Enabling business environment – Rwanda rated easiest place to do business in Africa. RDB and African Parks as long-term contractual partners.
11. RDB will publicise a formal Request for Expressions of Interest soon, and thereafter follow an open, competitive tender process for the concession, in close cooperation with African Parks.
12. The specific lodge parameters (site, size, fee structure etc.) will be finalised after input from short-listed bidders.
General Park Info:
1. Park size: 112’000 hectares (1’122 km2), includes a diverse landscape of grassland hills and plains, wooded slopes, 7 lakes and extensive papyrus beds.
2. 8’000 large mammals incl. 2000 Buffalo, 1000 Hippo, 88 Elephants + Leopard, Sitatunga, Roan, Eland, Giraffe, Topi, Zebra etc. (2013 aerial survey report available on request).
3. Plans are in place for Lions to be reintroduced this year and Black Rhinos soon – which will make it the only place to see the Big Five plus Shoebill.
4. 26’000 visitors to the park in 2013, up from 23’000 in 2012.
5. In 2012, African Parks developed a 20-bed, mid-level tented camp (called Ruzizi) in the high-volume, lower-value South Zone of the park – already achieving 40% average and 60%+ Peak Season occupancy levels in Year 1.
6. See attached the Akagera NP brochure and website (www.akagera.org)
Thomas Orr
Commercial Manager, African Parks Network
Block B, 5 Lone Close,Lonehill Office Park,
PO Box 2336
Lonehill 2062
South Africa
t: +27 11 465 0050 (office)
f: +27 86 662 4992 (fax)
c: +27 71 865 4577 (mobile)
End quote
For more information about investments in Rwanda it is advisable to visit the RDB website where valuable details can be obtained online about the country’s investment code, business registration and related issues www.rdb.rw
Tourism information on the destination is available via www.rwandatourism.com
