Rwanda’s tourist attractions were showcased at the just-concluded tourism exhibition held in China dubbed, “Beijing International Tourism Commodities Fair.” The fair, which closed yesterday, saw Rwanda exhibit tourism destinations and sites as well as export commodities such as coffee, tea and crafts. This being the fourth exhibition in a row, the fair attracted exhibitors from all over China as well as southeast nations. Other attractions at the Rwandan stand were cultural dancers comprised of Rwandan students studying in China. According to a media statement issued by the Second Counsellor at the Rwanda Embassy in Beijing, Virgile Rwanyagatare, many visitors, Chinese and foreigners living in Beijing as well as other exhibitors were attracted to the Rwandan stand. Rwanyagatare said the Rwandan embassy in China in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board plan to have more exhibitions to create awareness among the Chinese people on Rwanda as a tourism and business destination. “Already Rwanda is on China’s official list of preferred destination for Chinese citizens. With the East Africa Community single tourist visa and Rwanda Air planning to fly to China next year, Rwanda is set to get a lion’s share of the annual 100 million plus Chinese outbound tourists,” he noted. Since February, last year, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda have been promoting the region as a single tourist destination under the single tourist visa which allows tourists to any of the three partner states to travel freely around the three countries without seeking any other travel document, or paying more. The visa worth $100 is meant to open the region to travelers from around the world and help boost tourism in the region marketed as one destination.
