Rwanda eyes Karnataka as tourism hotspot

Jun 07, 2012 - Chandrashekar G. and N. B. Hombal |

Bengaluru

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If all goes well Karnataka could soon find itself a hot favourite with tourists from Rwanda. In what could be a win-win move for both the state and the African country, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) may soon be drawn up to help their tourism industries.As a stepping stone, Rwanda has showcased some of its attractions at the BIEC, organised as part of the Global Investors Meet 2012.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, High Commissioner of Rwanda to India, Williams Nkurunziza said his country was excited to tie up with Karnataka in tourism. "We could bring our people to hotspots in Karnataka and learn about the glorious legacy of the state and throw up our own attractions to tourists from here. Rwanda is known for its thousand hills and the gorilla species which are on the verge of extinction. Much of the country is mountainous and is home to the highest peak in the volcanic Virunga chain, which is protected by the Volcanoes National Park," he added.

Already, discussions have been held between the two governments and a couple of delegations have visited Rwanda. "We are getting warm support from the Karnataka government and the MoU will be signed shortly,” Mr Nkurunziza said. To boost tourism in Rwanda, the visa process is being simplified and applications will be processed within a couple of days. “We feel that giving visa on the spot is better than the visa on arrival process. Airline services are available from Dubai to Kigali," the high commissioner noted. While Rwanda has investors from Karnataka in medical services, education and rice production, it is now looking to share expertise in technology with it, according to him.

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