uganda tour and safari news

The Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) will spend US$570,370 to support community development projects around the national parks.

This is part of its revenue sharing policy where 5% of the total revenues is allocated to community development projects.

Under the initiative, ORTPN unveiled 21 community projects estimated at $266,666 in the country’s eastern province surrounding the Akagera national park.

“The projects were realised through the ORTPN revenue sharing policy where 5% of tourism revenues are allocated to community projects,” the ORTPN director general, Ms. Rosette Rugamba said.

Since 2005 to date, 54 community projects worth $963,703 have been funded.

Among them there are 11 schools with 47 classrooms, three hospitals, two community curio shops, 15 communal water taps and 10 water harvesting tanks as well as seven bridges.

It also funded income generating activities such as bee keeping, mushroom growing and energy saving stones.

New projects are estimated at over $314,814.

Tourism was ranked the first foreign exchange earner in 2007 registering $137million.

The sector contributed 3.7% to the country’s GDP.

This year, tourism expects to collect $148million from 884,220 tourists.
By Kiiza Calah
For Uganda gorilla safari news