Rwanda Tourism Reaches Big Record High as Kigali, Volcanoes National Park, Akagera and Conference Travel Drive Revenue Beyond One Trillion Francs in 2025

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Rwanda recorded its highest tourism revenue on record in 2025, with the sector generating approximately one trillion Rwandan francs, equivalent to around 685 million US dollars. The East African destination welcomed nearly 1.5 million visitors during the year, supported by growing international arrivals, increased regional travel, expanding conference tourism, and strong demand for wildlife experiences. The latest figures released by the Rwanda Development Board show a six per cent increase in tourism revenue compared with 2024, highlighting continued growth across multiple travel segments.

The performance was driven by a combination of leisure tourism, business travel, meetings and events, domestic tourism, and educational travel. Rwanda’s tourism sector benefited from improved air connectivity, growing accommodation capacity, and the continued appeal of its national parks and cultural attractions.

Gorilla Trekking Continues to Lead Rwanda’s Tourism Sector

Volcanoes National Park remained Rwanda’s leading tourism attraction in 2025. The park, located in the Virunga mountain region, is internationally known for its mountain gorilla trekking experiences and continues to attract visitors from Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and other African countries.

Revenue generated from gorilla tourism reached 248 million US dollars, representing a seven percent increase compared with the previous year. Gorilla trekking permits remained among the most sought-after wildlife experiences in Africa, drawing travelers seeking guided encounters with endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

In addition to gorilla trekking, visitors explored volcanic landscapes, forest trails, community tourism initiatives, and conservation-focused experiences surrounding the park. The destination continued to play a central role in Rwanda’s international tourism marketing efforts.

Visitor Arrivals Rise as Air Connectivity Expands

Rwanda welcomed close to 1.5 million visitors in 2025, compared with 1.36 million in 2024. The increase was supported by stronger air travel demand and continued regional mobility across East Africa.

Air arrivals recorded one of the strongest growth rates during the year, rising by 23 percent. Improved flight connectivity to Kigali enabled easier access for international travelers arriving from major aviation hubs across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

Road arrivals also increased by five percent, reflecting growing travel demand from neighboring countries, particularly within the East African Community. Visitors from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and other regional markets continued to contribute significantly to overall arrival figures.

The diversity of source markets helped support tourism growth, with travelers arriving from African, European, North American, and Asian destinations throughout the year.

Kigali Strengthens Its Position as a Leading Conference Destination

Kigali continued to strengthen its role as one of Africa’s leading meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions destinations. The MICE sector generated approximately 94.7 million US dollars in revenue during 2025, representing growth of nearly 12 percent.

The city hosted 165 international and regional events during the year, attracting more than 61,000 delegates. Conferences, trade exhibitions, corporate meetings, government forums, and international summits contributed significantly to visitor spending across hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, and tourism services.

Rwanda’s visa-on-arrival policy, modern conference facilities, efficient transport infrastructure, and expanding hotel inventory continued to support growth in the business travel sector. Business travel revenue reached 112 million US dollars, demonstrating consistent demand from corporate and institutional travelers.

The hosting of the UCI Road World Championships in 2025 further boosted international visitor arrivals. The event marked the first time the prestigious cycling championship was staged on the African continent, bringing athletes, support teams, media organizations, and spectators from around the world to Rwanda.

Conclusion: National Parks, Domestic Tourism and Hospitality Sector Expand

Beyond Volcanoes National Park, travelers continued to visit other major tourism destinations across Rwanda. Akagera National Park attracted visitors seeking safari experiences that include lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and diverse birdlife. Nyungwe National Park remained popular for rainforest exploration, canopy walks, chimpanzee tracking, and nature tourism activities.

National parks collectively recorded more than 155,000 visits during 2025. Domestic tourism emerged as a significant contributor to this growth, with local visitation increasing by 15 percent compared with the previous year.

Park revenues exceeded 40.8 million US dollars, reflecting continued interest in nature-based tourism and conservation-focused travel experiences. Increased domestic travel helped support tourism activity throughout the year while complementing international arrivals.

The hospitality sector also expanded to accommodate growing demand. New hotel developments in Kigali increased room capacity and enhanced the city’s ability to host major international events and leisure travelers. The growth in accommodation supply supported both conference tourism and holiday travel.

Visiting friends and relatives travel generated 180 million US dollars during the year, representing a 19 percent increase. Educational travel also contributed significantly, generating 64 million US dollars and growing by 17 percent.

With strong performance across wildlife tourism, conference travel, regional tourism, domestic travel, and hospitality development, Rwanda achieved its highest tourism revenue to date in 2025. Supported by Kigali’s growing role as an aviation and conference hub, alongside internationally recognized attractions such as Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, and Nyungwe National Park, the destination continued to attract visitors from across Africa and international markets throughout the year.