The Expo was a relevant event to participate in as most of the buyers or visitors who came to the stands were asking about tourism information and most of the participating institutions were related to tourism.
Most of the private tourism and hospitality operators who participated were from Tanzania therefore the private sector representation from other East African countries was a bit low.
There were several networking sessions that gave a chance for people to meet one on one and discuss or make appointments however, these sessions were short and the period for the Expo itself of three days seemed not enough. This is because the number of participants and visitors was increasing by the third day which was unfortunately the last.
There was a FAM trip organized at the end of the Expo which I unfortunately didn’t participate in but that was another important part as well. If the event will be rotating in the different East African countries it will help operators to know what’s in each particular destination to be able to package it as one.
The Kivu Belt DMU is a coalition of private and public tourism related actors working towards a common goal of developing the Kivu Belt as a sustainable adventure and eco-tourism destination.
The main objective is economic development and job creation in the Kivu Belt through sustainable development of tourism
The Kivu Belt is a part of Rwanda’s Chamber of Tourism