GABORONE, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A Botswanan company has signed a concession agreement with Rwanda to develop a multi-phased conservation and tourism management program in Rwanda's Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
The signing of the 25-year concession agreement between Botswana's Wilderness Holdings and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) will help drive Rwanda's high-end eco-tourism experience, said Keith Vincent, Wilderness Holdings CEO on Monday.
"Its positive impact on conservation and rural communities reaches far beyond the gorilla experience," said Vincent.
Wilderness, an eco-tourism company, operates 50 safari camps and lodges in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
"We envisage extended stays in the country, with tourists exposed to the wealth of Rwanda's unique attractions," said Vincent, adding that the potential of Rwanda is undeniable.
He said the agreement forms part of a commitment to developing sustainable eco-tourism in Rwanda, offering visitors life-changing journeys.
"We feel privileged to partner with the RDB to make a positive contribution to the habituation of the chimpanzees, and to unlock the tourism potential of Gishwati-Mukura and elsewhere," Vincent said.
Gishwati-Mukura National Park, situated on the highest ridges of the Congo-Nile Divide in the west of Rwanda, offers visitors the opportunity to experience chimpanzee and primate trekking, pristine montane forests and some of the country's most exciting birding.
