Covid-19: Rwanda has introduced new measures to facilitate the movement of tourists and operators to tourism entities between Kigali and other provinces!

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government department that integrates all government agencies responsible for the attraction, retention and facilitation of investments in Rwanda's economy, has announced that the following measures to facilitate the movement of tourists and operators to tourism entities between Kigali and other provinces have been put into place.

• Travellers, including drivers, are required to fill and submit movement requests at https://www.visitrwanda.com/domestic-tourists-facilitation-form/ together with copies of negative COVID-19 test results to domestictourism@rdb.rw at least 24 hours prior to the trip
• The only accepted tests for tourist visiting Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe National Park and Gishwati-Mukura National Park is the SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) taken within 72 hours
• A negative Rapid Antigen Test (RDT) taken within 72 hours will be accepted for Akagera National Park
• All other tourism destinations including hotel stays will accept either a Rapid Antigen Test (RDT) or SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) taken within 120 hours.

Rwanda introduces new tourism-related Covid-19 prevention measures!

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government department that integrates all government agencies responsible for the attraction, retention and facilitation of investments in Rwanda's economy, has announced that the Government of Rwanda has introduced new tourism-related Covid-19 prevention measures.

• All guests staying at various hotels in Rwanda are required to present a negative SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or Antigen Rapid Covid-19 test.
• International tourists entering Rwanda are required to take another Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival which is valid for 120 hours. They are required to take a rapid test after this period elapses.
• Tourists visiting Rwanda's National Parks are required to present a negative SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test with the exception of Akagera National Park where a negative Antigen Rapid Test result for Covid-19 is accepted.
• The cost of the Rapid Antigen Test for Covid-19 is Rwf 10,000 and results are available within 15 minutes after a test is taken. The cost of the  Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test is Rwf 50,000.
• All hotel properties in Rwanda are required to check for tests results before checking in guests.

Rwanda: African Parks takes over the management of Nyungwe National Park!

African Parks, a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on conservation, and the Government of Rwanda have signed an 20-year agreement for Nyungwe National Park, through which African Parks is taking over the management of the National Park. The NGO will work together with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government department that integrates all government agencies responsible for the attraction, retention and facilitation of investments in Rwanda's economy, to secure the sustainability of Nyungwe National Park by improving law enforcement, investing in and stimulating local enterprise, and by optimising the National Parks's potential for conservation-based tourism. 

Nyungwe National Park, which is located the south-west of Rwanda, is the largest expanse of forest in the country. The National Park is home to a quarter of Africa’s primates – 13 species including chimpanzees and the extremely rare Hamlyn’s and L’Hoest’s monkeys - as well as to more than 1,000 plant species, 75 known mammal species, 322 bird species and at least 120 butterfly species.

Nyungwe National Park represents the second such partnership between RDB and African Parks in Rwanda, following a management agreement for Akagera National Park that began 2010. It is the 19th Park in Africa to join the African Parks portfolio.

Rwanda: Price for gorilla permits doubles!

update (09 May 2017): Uganda's AUTO issues stark warning to Uganda Wildlife Authority not to follow suit (by Wolfgang H. Thome) >>

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has with immediate effect increased the price of gorilla permits in Rwanda from US$ 750 to US $1,500 for all visitors. The price increase will not affect tourists who purchased their permits prior to the introduction of the new rates (06 May 2017). Along with the new tariff, the tourism revenue sharing rate for communities adjacent to Volcanoes National Park will also increase from 5% to 10%. This will quadruple the absolute revenues received by the communities.
In line with Rwanda's high-end tourism strategy, the price increase aims to strengthen conservation efforts and contribute more to the development of communities living around the Volcanoes National Park.

Free digital brochure "Remarkable Rwanda"

Published on behalf of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the free digital guide "Remarkable Rwanda" is giving the reader an interesting overview on Rwanda as a tourist destination. The topics in the 72-page guide are ranging from the national carrier of the country, Rwandair, the capital Kigali, the country's national parks and the gorillas in Rwanda to information about cultural tourism in the East African country. If you are planning to visit Rwanda, browse through the guide and get to know the country a bit better! Enjoy!

Rwanda Development Board: Rwanda is safe for tourists

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has published a press release (06 Dec 2012) reassuring tourists and the business community that it is safe to travel to all parts of Rwanda. According to the press release, the situation in the east of the DR Congo has resulted in two recent isolated skirmishes in Rwanda. Both incidents got rapidly contained and border security has been reinforced to prevent recurrence.

"We would like to reassure visitors that it is business as usual at all our tourism destinations. Travellers to Rwanda continue to enjoy the magnificent scenery, pleasant climate, rich culture and diverse wildlife in our national parks, including the rare mountain gorillas." (Clare Akamanzi, acting CEO of RDB)

Rwanda: Nyungwe Nziza Project named winner of the 2012 British Guild of Travel Writers' Globe Award

The Nyungwe Nziza Project, a model tourism project strengthening sustainable ecotourism in and around the Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, was named winner of the 2012 British Guild of Travel Writers' top Globe Award as well as winner of the awards' Wider World category.
Sited in south-west Rwanda's Nyungwe National Park, the Rwanda Development Board project was praised for harmonising tourism, wildlife, environmental and agrarian development in one of Africa's last surviving patches of primeval pre-Ice Age rainforests. The Nyungwe National Park is one of the world's richest and most diverse eco-systems and home to 25% of all of Africa's primates. Congratulations!

Rwanda: Rwanda Development Board to increase gorilla permit rate by 50%

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) recently announced that it will increase the rates for gorilla permits in Rwanda by 50% from 01 June 2012. The price for a permit for foreigners will rise from US$500 to US$750, for foreign residents from US$250 to US$375, and permits for Rwandan nationals will rise from 20,000 Rwandan Francs (RWF; slightly over US$30) to 30,000 RWF (about US$50).
The permit allows visitors to experience a habituated family group of mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park for a period of one hour upon visual contact with the gorillas, and distance between mountain gorillas and people is kept at no less than seven meters. Only eight visitors are allowed per mountain gorilla group per day.
A contribution of 5% towards the communities surrounding the national parks under the revenue sharing programme is an activity that RDB is also committed to and this increase will also proportionally impact on this initiave.

Book a gorilla tour with Intrepit Travel before 31st May to secure your permit and save a further 10%! >>
Rwanda tours with Responsibletravel.com >>