Rwanda has been confirmed as the next host of the Commonwealth meeting due to take place in 2020 which will be chaired by Prince Charles taking over from Queen Elizabeth who has been the head for the last 66 years. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) gathers an estimated 5,000 delegates from every member continent each representing a unique culture, history, beliefs, languages and range of colorful flags that represent the vast diversity of 53 member countries.
Without a doubt it’s a very big honor for Rwanda to host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government summit offering lots of opportunities for her conference tourism. Rwanda is the second country to host CHOGM without British colonial past. It should be noted that Rwanda is the smallest country in East Africa and has had one of the worst genocides in history just recently in 1994! Today about 20 years from the genocide the country is amazedly unrecognizable, the country has had a steady recovery and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Fondly referred to as the land of a thousand hills, the country is the cleanest in the cleanest in East Africa with the entire country fully involved in cleaning and ensuring a good living.
Is CHOGM good for Rwanda Tourism?
Rwanda’s tourism is her jewel, the country is dedicated to conservation and protection of her natural resources and her mountain gorillas come first. Rwanda is one of the 3 countries in the world blessed with mountain gorillas living in the east of the country in Volcanoes national park Rwanda, which shares the gorilla population with neighboring countries of Uganda and Democratic republic of Congo. With a lot of programs set up for mountain gorilla conservation in Rwanda, a gorilla permit which allows 1 person to see gorillas in Rwanda is sold at $1500 goes back to support conservation activities and a percentage goes back into helping the locals staying around Rwandan national parks and they are instruments of conservation too.
If a visitor to Rwanda shall be attending a meeting and plans to go gorilla trekking after the summit or on any given free day, the price of the gorilla permit has been discounted to $1250 enabling delegates who will be attending the CHOGM to take part in gorilla tours while on their visit to Rwanda.
While if the delegates are looking at spending some more time visiting other national park in the country, like tour wildlife in Akagera national park, the price of the gorilla permit is even discounted more to $1050 making it much more affordable to visit Rwanda on short tours.
Infrastructure development and modernization of Kigali city comes with CHOGM to make Rwanda ready to host such an important meeting. The country must invest in new luxurious hotels, conference, roads and improve on type of transport available. Apparently the country is rushing fast on the construction of a new Bugesera International Airport due to be completed in December 2019
The Commonwealth deciding on Rwanda to host the next CHOGM speaks good of the organization on her focus on most vulnerable members and their aim to honestly reach out and empower member countries in achieving their major commitments and strategies to protect our ocean, boost trade, tackle cybercrime, empower women and youth, and halt the devastating effects of climate change.
Rwanda typically shares the core objectives and principles that the Commonwealth believes in and as such Rwandans for the last 24 years after the genocide the country has been experiencing peace, security and equal opportunities for all people in Rwanda to attain a good standard of living.
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