Rwanda last week participated in the annual Vakantiebeurs tourism exhibition, a key annual international tourism market held in the Netherlands. The event was held from January 13 to 18 and Rwanda managed to show some of its unique products to visitors. Rwanda managed to showcase the country as a diverse destination for adventure, culture, unrivaled beauty. Though Rwanda is most known for being the best spot for gorilla tours, the focus was also put on the promotion of Akagera National Park and Nyungwe National Park as tourist destinations.
According to Guillaume Kavaruganda, the Minister Counsellor at the Rwandan embassy at Hague, the Vakantiebeurs tourism exhibition was a success for the Rwandan tourism industry who kept the stand very active holding meetings to generate new contracts and maintain relations with existing partners in the Netherlands.
Vakantiebeurs is arguably the biggest and most important tourism exhibition in Netherlands and this year it attracted more than 125,000 visitors and 1,600 exhibitors from approximately 160 countries. These included more than 14,000 travel and media professionals.
At the Rwandan stand were various officials from the Rwanda Development Board, tour operators, Rwanda’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Jean Pierre Karabaranga and many others. Many visitors came to to the rwanda stand and got their questions answered. Many visitors took photos which they were later asked to share on facebook. The most liked photos will win a ticket to Rwanda under the sponsorship of the national carrier, RwandAir.”