Rwanda’s tourism sector generated $685 million in revenue and hosted 165 international and regional conferences that brought in $94.7 million in 2025, demonstrating the power of effective public-private partnerships in destination development, according to Ms. Kadigiri Ginette, Regional Manager for West and Central Africa at RwandAir.
Speaking at the 10th Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) Conference in Lagos on the theme, “Public-Private Partnerships, Local Communities and Private Operators to Drive Sustainable Destination Development,” Ginette said Rwanda’s tourism success offers a practical model for African countries seeking to unlock the economic potential of tourism.
She stressed that tourism development cannot be driven by the private sector alone, echoing earlier remarks by tourism stakeholder Stella Fubura.
“I have to corroborate what Stella Fubura said, that it is not only the private sector that can drive tourism. A very good example is what the Rwandan Government has been able to achieve,” she said.
According to Ginette, one of the key drivers of Rwanda’s success is the establishment of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a one-stop investment institution that combines tourism promotion, investment facilitation and private sector development under a single agency.
She explained that the RDB has simplified investment procedures and created an enabling environment for investors in tourism and hospitality.
“In Rwanda, you can register your business in 24 hours,” she said, noting that the agency also provides investment incentives, supports hotels and promotes public-private dialogue.
Ginette said the Rwandan government deliberately focused on providing critical infrastructure, including roads, airports and convention facilities, while the private sector invested in hotels, lodges and transport services.
She pointed to the entry of internationally recognised hotel brands such as Marriott International and Radisson Hotel Group as evidence of the success of this collaborative approach.
“This approach allows the government to mostly focus on infrastructure and the private sector to focus on what they do best, which is bringing in hotels, lodges and transport to enable tourism activities,” she said.
A major highlight of Rwanda’s tourism strategy, according to the RwandAir executive, has been the development of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.
She disclosed that Rwanda hosted 165 international and regional conferences last year, generating approximately $94.7 million.
The success of the MICE segment, she said, was made possible through government investment in the Kigali Convention Centre and the participation of private sector players, including hotels, destination management companies, airlines and local service providers.
“The destination management companies organise those events. The airlines bring in visitors and local suppliers provide catering, transport and event services. It is a really good example of how everyone comes together to make it happen,” she said.
Ginette also highlighted the importance of strategic airline partnerships in supporting tourism growth, noting that air connectivity remains critical to attracting visitors.
As a government-owned carrier, she said, RwandAir works closely with tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, destination management companies and international airlines to improve connectivity into Rwanda.
The result of these partnerships, she said, was the movement of approximately 1.49 million passengers into Rwanda last year.
She further revealed that tourism contributed between 9.8 and 10.3 per cent of Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), demonstrating the sector’s significance to the country’s economy.
“In Rwanda, we were able to achieve at least 10 per cent of GDP through tourism. So we know that Nigeria can also achieve that and even beyond because of the geography and the past experience that we have in this country,” she said.
Despite the achievements, Ginette acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly the need for more internationally recognised hotel brands and continued investment in tourism infrastructure.
She urged African governments and private sector stakeholders to deepen collaboration, insisting that sustainable tourism development can only be achieved when governments create an enabling environment and businesses invest in products and services that attract visitors.
Her presentation reinforced the conference’s central message that strong partnerships between governments, local communities and private operators remain essential to unlocking the full economic potential of tourism across Africa.
