Rwanda’s tourism sector generated $685 million in revenue in 2025, reflecting the continued recovery and expansion of one of the country’s key sources of foreign exchange.
According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) 2025 annual performance report, tourism revenue rose about 6 percent from the previous year, supported by higher visitor numbers and increased air travel.
The sector’s revenue has grown significantly over the past five years. In 2021, tourism generated $164 million, before rising to $455 million in 2022 as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic eased.
Revenue then increased to $620 million in 2023 and $647 million in 2024, before reaching $685 million in 2025.
RDB attributed the latest growth partly to increased air travel, with revenue from air transport-related tourism activities rising 9 percent to $594 million.
Gorilla tourism remains a major contributor
Gorilla tourism continued to be one of Rwanda’s strongest tourism products, generating $248 million in 2025, an increase of 7 percent.
The country also recorded strong growth in visits to friends and relatives (VFR), which generated $180 million, representing a 19 percent increase.
Other segments also contributed to the sector’s performance. Education-related travel generated $64 million, up 17 percent, while business tourism generated $112 million.
Overall, Rwanda welcomed approximately 1.49 million visitors in 2025, compared with 1.36 million in 2024, representing a 9 percent increase.
The strongest growth was recorded among visitors travelling by air, whose numbers increased by 23 percent, highlighting Rwanda’s continued efforts to attract international travellers.
Kwita Izina remains a key tourism platform
Rwanda’s annual gorilla naming ceremony, Kwita Izina, has also become an important platform for conservation and tourism promotion.
In 2026, the ceremony is scheduled to take place in Kinigi, Musanze District, on September 4, where 22 baby mountain gorillas are expected to be given names.
Since Kwita Izina became an annual event in 2005, 438 gorillas have been named.
The event has grown beyond the naming ceremony itself to become a platform bringing together conservationists, researchers, government officials, businesses and international visitors to promote gorilla conservation and highlight the role of communities in protecting wildlife.
Mountain gorilla population continues to grow
Conservation efforts over the past decades have contributed to an increase in the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Massif, which is shared by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The region is now home to more than 1,100 mountain gorillas, compared with about 430 when Kwita Izina began.
The growth has been attributed to collaboration between the government, conservation organisations, researchers, veterinary experts, park rangers and communities living around protected areas.
Conservation has also become closely linked to Rwanda’s tourism strategy, with the increasing number of visitors contributing significantly to national tourism revenues.
More than Rwf23 billion invested in communities
Rwanda has also established a revenue-sharing programme through which communities living near national parks receive 10 percent of tourism revenues.
The funds are channelled into community development projects, including schools, health centres, water infrastructure and other initiatives.
RDB says that since the programme began, more than Rwf23 billion has been invested in nearly 1,300 community projects.
The programme is intended to ensure that communities living near protected areas benefit directly from tourism and conservation, strengthening their role in protecting natural resources.
This approach has increasingly positioned Kwita Izina not only as a celebration of gorillas but also as a symbol of Rwanda’s efforts to connect conservation, tourism and sustainable development.
Rwanda plans expansion of Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda is also implementing a project to expand Volcanoes National Park, with an estimated value of $259 million over 10 years.
The project is expected to add 3,740 hectares to the park and establish an additional 6,620-hectare buffer zone.
As part of the expansion, Rwanda is developing a $30 million Smart Green Village in Rurembo for households relocated from areas designated for the park’s expansion.
The village is planned to include water and electricity infrastructure, schools, health facilities, agricultural and livestock areas and other essential services.
The project is expected to improve the livelihoods of more than 17,000 people, including 547 households that will relocate to the village, while also reducing human-wildlife and other environmental conflicts by an estimated 80 percent.
Kwita Izina 2026 to bring together conservation and tourism stakeholders
The 2026 edition of Kwita Izina will bring together individuals from conservation, business, sports, entertainment, philanthropy and government sectors to participate in naming the 22 gorillas.
Other activities are planned alongside the ceremony, including an environmental conservation exhibition in Kinigi, gorilla-focused educational and tourism activities, tourism promotion initiatives and a Kwita Izina concert in Kigali.
With tourism revenues reaching $685 million and visitor numbers approaching 1.5 million in 2025, Rwanda is increasingly positioning conservation as not only an environmental responsibility but also a major pillar of the country’s tourism economy and sustainable development.
SOURCE: IGIHE