The Minister for Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu, has called upon officials at the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda (IMNR) to embrace innovation to attract more tourists.

Uwacu made the call during her visit to the body in Kigali yesterday.

"The services at the museums are great but there is need for more innovation,” she said.

She called for more partnerships between the IMNR and the private sector to ensure that not only more tourists are attracted to Rwanda but also the country’s culture is preserved.

"We have got solutions to all our problems. All we need to do is set priorities. If we have, say 200 sites, they all can’t be developed at once but progressively,” she said.

IMNR’s director general Alphonse Umulisa said they still face challenges like the dilapidation of some buildings and lack of office space for their employees at various sites.

He, however, agreed that innovation was needed to overcome the challenges.

"We have come a long way but a lot more needs to be done,” he said, adding that culture needs to grow at the same pace as the country’s economy.

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