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Kigali, Rwanda│Tuesday, December 12, 2006

There’s more to see and do in Rwanda than visit the gorillas, and the U.S. is working with the Government of Rwanda (GOR) to demonstrate that.

USAID/Rwanda is committing a total of US $3.8 million to help the Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) broaden the country’s appeal as a tourism destination by developing key areas of Nyungwe Forest National Park. The four-year project has three areas of concentration: economic growth through positioning Nyungwe as a tourism destination both alternative and complementary to gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park; conservation of biodiversity by balancing tourism with protecting the forest’s sensitive and diverse plant and animal life – including 12 different species of primates, including chimpanzees and colobus monkeys -- and addressing the economic needs of local communities that may be linked to tourism in and around the project’s targeted areas.

Leading the project will be International Resources Group (IRG), whose expertise in developing sustainable ecotourism will be partnered by the biodiversity expertise of The Wildlife Conservation Society, which has been working with ORTPN since 1987. Family Health International will manage the project’s community health component, while the Cooperative League of the U.S. will focus on community-based, natural resource management, and small business planning and development.

IRG Chief of Party Peter Nizette describes the Nyungwe National Park project as a big but exciting challenge.

We’re in complete agreement with the Government of Rwanda that having one icon destination – such as the gorillas -- is a very risky tourism strategy,” Nizette said. “We have ambitious plans, but we also want to keep realistic expectations. This is the beginning of a long-term process --- after all, it took 25 years to develop gorilla trekking as a tourist destination. We want to build from the bottom up, and make sure it’s done right, step by step.”

USAID/Rwanda Director Kevin J. Mullally – who has a background in natural resources management -- sees this investment as one that meets a number of USAID/Rwanda’s objectives.

With this project, we’re not only helping the Government of Rwanda achieve its goals of expanding tourism, but we’re also contributing to creating a sustainable environment in a protected area. From an economic growth perspective, we’ll be facilitating partnerships between community tourism enterprises and the business sector. From an education perspective, we’ll provide training in natural resource and workforce management, as well as provide training for local community members to become nature guides; and from the perspective of creating healthier families, we’ll be working with local communities on HIV/AIDS care and prevention, family planning, and maternal and child health care.”

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