Editor,

Re: "Community tourism earns Rwanda honors in Spain and Netherlands” (The New Times, January 31).

It is very encouraging to see private sector players like Greg Bakunzi, founder and owner of Amahoro Tours and also Davidson Mugisha, founder and owner of Wildlife Tours, showcasing community tourism and other products, unique to this beautiful land of a thousand hills and a million smiles!

Rwanda Tourism, who will be making their first ever appearance in India, at the forthcoming travel expo, the Outbound Travel Market 2016, slated to take place at the Mumbai Exhibition Centre from 18 to 20 February, will surely impress the Indian market too, with a wide array of products and services, which will be on offer.

The important fact, however, is that private sector players like Amahoro Tours and Wildlife Tours must partner with the Government and travel to Mumbai for this largest travel expo in a market which saw twenty million Indians travel overseas last year.

Vakantiebeurs Travel and Leisure Fair, which was held at Ulrecht, the Netherlands, from 13 to 17 January and FITUR International Tourism Fair in Madrid from 20 to 24 January, are definitely very important tourism events.

But to enhance Indian visitor arrivals into Rwanda, it is of paramount importance to participate at the largest travel expo in the country.

In terms of sheer numbers, the Indian Outbound Travel Market is one which should be taken seriously and participation of the private sector will show the seriousness and eagerness of the destination to tap into this new market.

We welcome Amahoro Tours, Wildlife Tours and many others to come and be a part of the India growth story.

Clarence Fernandes