If there is that one country that has put more focus on its tourism sector then Rwanda is one of them. A few months ago, it entered into a partnership deal with arsenal to market its attractions through the ‘Visit Rwanda’ campaign. As the world is still left in wonder how possible it can be, Rwanda and Italy have signed yet another agreement which intends to open their skies to allow their commercial airlines to operate between the two nations. The move is however intended to expand the flag carriers operation in Europe. In addition, a bilateral service agreement was also signed on behalf of Burundi and Uganda.
The bilateral air services agreements help liberalize commercial civil aviation services between different nations thus permitting the designated airlines of the respective states to take commercial flights which cover cargo and passenger transportation. It also covers the frequency and capacity of air services between states, costing and several other commercial matters. That said, Rwandair which is flag carrier for Rwanda now has opportunity to take flights to European states. It already offers airline services to Europe with the current treaties that are expected to add on its footprint in Europe. Based on its 5 year plan for Europe where it already takes weekly flights to Brussels and London, it will also be flying to Italy.
The idea comes just after a few days when government hopes to increase its national carrier’s destinations to at least 31 in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. Rwandair also targeted Addis Ababa, Tel Aviv, New York, Conakry, Guangzhou and many others. Currently, it has over 26 routes that it flights. This bilateral air service agreement indicates how Rwanda treasures air transport and it will help widen its air transport network. This will also boast trade among the private sector player from Europe that for long has been on increase up to date. Rwanda has a lot of things to export and among many include fruits, vegetables and flowers and the signed treaty makes it easier for dealers to access the European market. Besides, more investors will be drawn from Italy and Europe to come and invest in Rwanda as well as play part in the increasing tourism traffic.
This agreement was reached in December 2017 in Sri Lanka and it has reached its final stage that makes Rwanda a beneficiary. This however brings a sum of bilateral air services agreements that Rwanda has entered to over 78 and 46 of them are mainly within Africa. Rwandair is a national carrier of Rwanda and offers both domestic and international air services to East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, South Africa as well as Europe, Middle East and Asia. It also comprises of several aircrafts that have made its operation easier.
Besides the travel sector, Rwanda’s tourism industry is also dependent on nature where most of the tours and safaris are conducted in its spectacular national parks that include Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Akagera National Park and Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Depending on what your travel interests are in Rwanda, each of the protected areas in this remarkable country feature diverse tourist attractions that are worth exploring while you are on safari in Africa. If you are interested in mountain gorillas then Volcanoes National Park should be a must to visit. This park also inhabits several other primates including the golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys as well as over 200 bird species including the Albertine endemics. Nyungwe Forest National Park on other hand boasts of its diverse primate species that make it a primate paradise (they include chimpanzees, L’Hoests monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, Angolan colobus monkeys, grey cheeked monkeys and others) as well as more than 1068 plant species, 310 bird species, 85 mammal species, about 40 reptile species and several species of amphibians. It is popular for chimpanzee trekking, canopy walk, birding, camping and many more. If you are interested in game viewing then Akagera National Park should be a must to include in your travel plan. This park inhabits most of the elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, roan antelopes and over 550 bird species including the shoebill stork. You can take a flight using Rwandair and land in Kigali International Airport where you can easily connect to any of the parks for your vacation.
In conclusion, the air travel sector plays a significant role in the country’s tourism sector. The two usually go hand in hand. By Rwanda expanding air transportation services to Europe, it won’t only benefit the travel sector but the tourism industry of the nation as a whole the fact that more visitors who will come to explore what the nation has in offer.
