The Official Opening of the Ruzizi Tented Lodge and Day Visitor Centre at Akagera

On 26 March 2013, a ceremony marked the joint official opening of the new Day Visitor Centre and the Ruzizi Tented Lodge at Akagera National Park. These new developments are part of an integrated Tourism Development Plan aimed at increasing park revenue for the park’s long-term sustainability.

Honorable Francois Kanimba, Minister of Trade and Industry, was a guest of honour, alongside Rob and Melani Walton. Rob Walton is Chairman of the Walton Family Foundation, which has provided financial support to Akagera since the Akagera Management Company took over management of the park. Governor of the Eastern Province, Odette Uwamariya, and CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, Clare Akamanzi, were among the invited dignitaries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Kanimba applauded the support of the Walton Family Foundation. "The park has been doing well over the past three years and these new facilities are an important step towards the park’s goal of self-sustainability,” he added.

The construction of the 14-bed Ruzizi Tented Lodge commenced in January 2012 and was completed in October that same year. Although a well-proven concept elsewhere in Africa, this tented lodge is the first of its kind in Rwanda. In addition to the Lodge, the new Day Visitor Centre at Akagera was completed in March 2013.

Both the Lodge and the Day Visitor Centre were built by the Akagera Management Company, which is responsible for the park’s management, working with a team of local builders and labourers. Both structures were sensitively designed and built with local and natural materials where possible to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

The official opening was preceded by a tour operator ‘preview’ of the new facilities the day before. Twenty tour operators visited Akagera for the day to view the new developments and hear about progress in other areas of the park as well as future plans for tourism development.

In the three years since the Akagera Management Company started managing Akagera, the park has seen a 40% increase in visitor numbers and a 73% increase in revenue. Akagera is well on its way to becoming self-sustainable. It is a valuable contributor to the tourism industry and the economy of Rwanda as it is now a premier tourism destination.