The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has intensified nationwide inspections of hospitality establishments to ensure compliance with regulations designed to enhance efficiency and service delivery across the sector.
In particular, RDB is emphasizing the requirement for all hospitality facilities, including hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, as well as venues hosting conferences, weddings, and other events, to hold a valid Tourism Operating License.
This license serves as official authorisation for entities to operate within the hospitality and tourism industry. This licensing process goes far beyond paperwork, it keeps these businesses in check.
To obtain a Tourism Operating License, businesses must not only secure a valid occupational permit and trading license, but also demonstrate compliance with a wide range of requirements. These cover infrastructure, safety, staffing, insurance, internet connectivity, association membership, and child protection measures.
Practically, this means establishments must provide proper drainage and sewage systems, adequate handwashing stations and washrooms, reliable waste management, and a consistent supply of clean water and communication facilities.
Equally important are safety and operational standards: security systems, fire safety equipment, electrical safety certification, medical examination records for staff, and strong internet connectivity. Management teams and departmental heads are also expected to present proof of professional qualifications.
These standards are not optional. Hospitality businesses serve both citizens and international visitors, and Rwanda’s ambition to position itself as a premier tourism destination demands excellence in service delivery and reliability at every level.
Recent revelations, such as the case of Château Le Marara, a hotel that made headlines for all the wrong reasons, serve as a stark reminder that poor service delivery is unacceptable. At a high-profile wedding, hundreds of guests were subjected to substandard conditions, while the proprietors failed to take responsibility for their shortcomings.
An RDB investigation revealed that Château Le Marara had been operating without a Tourism Operating License. Beyond the reputational damage suffered by the establishment, the very notion that a facility capable of hosting hundreds, if not thousands, of people could operate without proper authorization is deeply concerning.
There are likely other establishments operating without a license, as well as many more that fail to uphold the very standards the licensing system is designed to enforce.
Authorities must step up to enforce compliance proactively, rather than waiting until service delivery failures come to light.