A prominent American news magazine, TIME, has named Rwanda among the world’s top 50 destinations for the year 2022. To compile the list, TIME solicited nominations of places from its international network of correspondents and contributors, “with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.” Kigali and Nairobi were the magazine’s urban picks from Africa, while South Africas Franschhoek, Zimbabwes Hwange National Park and Zambias Lower Zambezi National Park were also recommended. “Often described as the friendliest African city, the Rwandan capital of Kigali is pushing toward a green future, especially for its growing tourism trade,” reads part of the article TIME wrote about Kigali. Among other things, the magazine credited the city for initiatives like GuraRide, the new bike-sharing app that provides easy and affordable access to scooters, road bikes, and e-bikes. “Kigali is also upgrading its roads as part of the recently launched years-long Kigali Infrastructure Project, which aims to ease congestion, provide more direct connection among hard-to-reach neighborhoods, and reduce pollution. Newly created car-free zones, the most recent launched in Gisimenti, let residents and visitors take back city streets on weekends,” it further read. Developments in the tourism sector, for example the first 18-hole golf course in the city at the new Kigali Golf Resort and Villas, and the opening of the Nyandungu Wetland Ecotourism Park also earned Kigali credit to feature on the list. In general, the list features places from different continents, ranging from Australia’s the Great Barrier Reef, where visitors can see undersea wonders while participating in conservation efforts, to the ultra-high-tech city of Seoul.
