Rwandans visiting national parks rise 8.1% to over 59,000 in 2025

By The Inspirer.

The number of Rwandans visiting national parks increased by 8.1% in 2025, reaching more than 59,000 visitors, as domestic tourism continues to gain momentum.

The figures were presented on August 11, 2026, during a briefing ahead of the 20th edition of Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s annual gorilla naming ceremony, scheduled for September 4, 2026, in Kinigi near Volcanoes National Park.

Mutangana Eugène, Executive Secretary of the Rwanda Nature Foundation (RNF), said the increase reflects growing interest among Rwandans in exploring the country’s natural heritage.

“We are pleased that domestic tourism continues to grow. In 2025, the number of Rwandans who visited national parks increased by 8.1%, reaching more than 59,000,” Mutangana said.

He said the trend shows that more Rwandans are appreciating the country’s tourism attractions and should encourage further efforts to promote domestic tourism.

Mutangana attributed part of the growth to government initiatives aimed at encouraging Rwandans to explore the country, including the Tembera u Rwanda campaign.

Although the Tembera u Rwanda programme is no longer active, he said the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is preparing other initiatives aimed at maintaining the momentum in domestic tourism.

“Tembera u Rwanda is not currently operating, but that does not mean RDB has abandoned efforts to promote domestic tourism. We have other programmes in preparation that we will share soon,” he said.

Launched in October 2016, Tembera u Rwanda sought to encourage Rwandans to discover the country’s attractions and travel to different destinations.

Hakiza Jackson, head of the tourism department at the Private Sector Federation (PSF), said the growth in domestic tourism should also be viewed as an opportunity for private-sector investment.

He said more than 59,000 domestic visitors in 2025 represent a significant market for tourism businesses, adding that the private sector is working with RDB to promote initiatives that can encourage more Rwandans to travel within the country.

Hakiza also called for stronger involvement from the media and private sector in promoting domestic tourism.

“Growth in international visitor numbers should go hand in hand with growth in domestic tourism,” he said, stressing the need for continued efforts to encourage Rwandans to explore their own country.

Rwanda received more than 1.49 million visitors in 2025, generating over $685 million in tourism revenues.

Under the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), Rwanda aims to more than double tourism revenues to $1.1 billion by 2029.