Rwanda has recorded a significant boost in travel services export earnings, which grew by 28 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025 (covering November 2025 to January 2026), reaching $161.5 million, reflecting the country’s expanding tourism sector and rising international visitor arrivals.
This was made known by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). According to New Times, travel services exports refer to money spent in Rwanda by foreign visitors on accommodation, food and beverages, local transport, shopping, entertainment, education and health services.
Air arrivals account for biggest share
NISR’s latest Travel Expenditure Survey indicates that of the total $161.5 million, non-residents arriving by air contributed about 85 per cent of total travel exports. Visitors entering through land borders accounted for the remaining $24.9 million. Among air travellers, holiday travel was the largest contributor, generating $65 million, 71.4 per cent of which came from gorilla tourism alone.
Visitors travelling to visit friends and relatives accounted for $36.5 million, while business travel generated $21.5 million. Education-related travel contributed $12.1 million, and health travel brought in $0.1 million. By region of origin, North America recorded the highest spending at $40.8 million, accounting for roughly 29 per cent of total travel exports. Travellers from the Rest of Africa spent $34.5 million, followed by Europe at $26.2 million, the East African Community (EAC) at $18.6 million, and Asia at $10.7 million.
Spending patterns also varied by purpose and origin. North American holidaymakers arriving by air spent an average of $138 per day and stayed an average of 11 nights. European holiday visitors spent $123 per day and also stayed 11 nights on average. In contrast, holiday visitors from the EAC stayed an average of 6 nights. Education visitors recorded the longest stays. Students from Asia stayed an average of 193 nights, while those from the rest of Africa stayed 187 nights. Despite longer stays, education travel generated $6.9 million, significantly lower than holiday receipts, reflecting lower average daily expenditure.
Non-residents entering Rwanda by land spent $24.9 million during the quarter, representing about 15 per cent of total travel exports. The EAC region accounted for $19.7 million. North America accounted for $1.6 while other African countries outside the EAC contributed $1.5 million, while the remaining regions accounted for smaller shares. By purpose of visit, visiting friends and relatives was the leading category among land travellers at $11.3 million, followed by education with $6.2 and business travel at $4.7 million, holiday travel at $1.4 million, and health-related travel at $0.6 million.
Education visitors entering by land from the rest of Africa stayed an average of 140 nights followed by EAC with 166 days while European education visitors spent an average of 89 days. Health purposes visitors in Africa outside EAC spent 83 days. In total, more than 350,000 non-residents entered Rwanda through land borders during the quarter, significantly higher than air arrivals, though with lower total spending.
During the same quarter, Rwanda’s travel imports, expenditure by Rwandan residents travelling abroad, amounted to $95.9 million. Of this amount, $64.4 million was spent by residents travelling by air, while $31.5 million was spent by those travelling by land. For air travel abroad, business travel accounted for the largest share at $22.2 million, followed by education-related travel at $14.7 million, and visiting friends and relatives at $14.6 million. Holiday travel accounted for $10.9 million, while health travel stood at $1.9 million.
By destination, the EAC region recorded the highest expenditure by Rwandan residents travelling by air at $53.9 million, representing more than 83 per cent of total air travel spending abroad. Land travel spending was entirely within the EAC and totalled $31.5 million. With travel credits of $161.5 million and travel debits of $95.9 million, Rwanda registered a positive travel services balance of $65.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025.
