Rwanda’s diverse offerings include trekking on the Mikeno volcano
Picture by Monika Hrdinova/www.shutterstock.com
A new convention centre, upcoming international branded hotels and a growing MICE reputation could change Rwanda’s fate, writes Paige Lee Pei Qi
Rwanda’s MICE tourism is poised for a major lift on the back of the US$300 million Kigali Convention Centre which had opened last month, along with the entrance of several new city hotels that will boost accommodation inventory in its capital Kigali.
Ranked as the 13th most sought after MICE destination on the African continent by ICCA last year, Rwanda has been steadily building its niche in MICE since the launch of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB) in 2014.
According to Faustin Karasira, acting head of the tourism department in Rwanda Development Board, which oversees the RCB’s activities, at least 40 per cent of overall tourism revenue, which is targeted at US$860 million, is expected to come from MICE by 2018.
Total revenues based on MICE tourism in 2015 were US$35 million, up from US$29 million in 2014.
Karasira said: “We are ready to be positioned as a MICE hub within Africa especially with new infrastructure like the Kigali Convention Centre and international branded hotels.”
Adding to that, Joseph Birori, managing director of MICE with Primate Safaris, said the increase in meeting and hotel facilities will help him sell Rwanda much better and the destination’s potential for MICE will now be “taken seriously”.
New and upcoming hotels in the destination include the 251-key Kigali Marriott Hotel, 161-room Park Inn by Radisson, as well as Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre with 292 rooms.
Kigali Marriott Hotel, which opened in May, is expecting 50 per cent of guests to be business travellers, according to Peter Mukulu, the hotel’s director of sales & marketing.
Mukulu said: “There are not a lot of international hotels in the city. By establishing a Marriott, we will be able to help drive the inbound MICE market.”
While the hotel is expecting the bulk of guests to be from regional Africa, he said his team will be courting the international market especially through their US and Europe counterparts by establishing a presence at related tradeshows.
Playing host to international events has also lifted the city’s prominence. Karasira said: “The growth of international events being held in our country displays confidence in our MICE capabilities which will help us see further growth in MICE tourism as word gets around.”
High profile international events this year include the World Economic Forum in May, which welcomed 3,000 delegates, as well as the African Union Summit later in July and the Global Africa Investment Summit in September – each expected to host 2,000 guests.
Birori pointed to Rwanda’s reputation for security and tour offerings as other key selling points.
He said: “Business travellers especially are big on safety and Rwanda is well-known to (be a clean place with) low crime rates.
“On top of that, Rwanda has exclusive nature and wildlife attractions for incentive activities like mountain gorillas trekking tours.”
Karasira added that the national MICE strategy is in line with diversifying the current tourism product offering while complementing existing gorilla tourism, eco-tourism, cultural and community-based tourism, the mainstays of Rwanda’s economy.
Increased air connectivity is also one of the factors that has bolstered Rwanda’s MICE sector.
The number of international airlines operating in the country has increased from five in 2010 to nine in 2015. South African Airways, Qatar Airways, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Kenya Airways, flydubai, Emirates Cargo and Ethiopian Airlines are airlines currently operating in Rwanda.
Moreover, Africans arriving in or transiting through Rwanda are not required to apply for visas prior to travel as they can get them upon arrival in the country.
The Kigali International Airport, which went through an upgrade in 2014, increased its annual capacity to 1.6 million passengers, up from 600,000. Also, a new airport, Bugesera International Airport, is in the works and will provide extra capacity for passengers and cargo when opened.
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Learn its history
Dedicate at least half a day to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which documents the 1994 genocide during which an estimated one million people died over the span of 100 days. It also serves as the final resting place for over 250,000 victims.
Get close to nature
The forest fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains and rolling highlands combine to make Akagera National Park among the most scenic of reserves anywhere in Africa. The park has vehicles for hire for game drives, which come with a driver, a guide and a choice of half- or full-day drives. Be prepared to come up close and personal with the wildlife.
Say hello to the mountain gorillas
Visit the habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas at the Volcanoes National Park through a gorilla trekking tour. The adventure takes anything from 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the group’s physical strength.
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A new gem in Rwanda’s MICE portfolio
The US$300 million Kigali Convention Centre, which opened its doors in June this year, is deemed to be one of the most important infrastructure developments in the country.
Part of the Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre complex, Kigali Convention Centre has a flexible conference hall that can host up to 2,600 seated delegates, and is suitable for summit events, conventions, festivals or even concerts. Another flexible conference room for up to 800 pax, can be divided into six smaller spaces. There are also 18 meetings rooms as well as exhibition foyers.
Apart from meeting facilties, F&B options include an all-day-dining restaurant and a fine-dining restaurant.
The five-star 292-room Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre offers accommodation support to events, and the hotel tower comes with its own event spaces too, allowing it to complement larger-scale gatherings taking place at the Kigali Convention Centre.
These meeting facilities include an arena that spans more than 1,200m2, a divisible conference hall as well as 10 meeting rooms.
Sitting on a hilltop in the heart of Kigali near the Parliament building, the convention centre is also conveniently located 20 minutes by car from the Kigali International Airport.
Several global business events have been booked at the new
Kigali Convention Centre
