NYANZA TOURISM

Nyanza District has the potential to become a splendind tourism destination like Musanze Destinations Kivu Beld in the Northern and Western provinces of Rwanda. Below are the existing and identified potential tourism products that can be offered to tourists visiting the destination, provided they are packaged and marketed well, with a tour guide offered by Smart Haven Ltd.

Nyanza Cultural Trails

NYANZA CULTURAL TRAILS

Nyanza Tourism

The Nyanza Cultural Trails are hiking trails developed in 2019 through a joint initiative between RCHA and Nyanza District. The initiative was supported by the Rwandan-German Eco-Empoloi project implemented by GIZ, the Senior Expert Service and the Deutsche Wanderinstitut (German Hiking Institute) and aims to diversify tourism in Rwanda and increase the touristic value of Nyanza District as Rwanda's cultural and heritage destination. Thes include:

  • The Royal Trail
  • The Big-view Trail
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  • The Gatagara Trail
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  • Kwigira Museum (Rwesero)
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  • The King's Palace Museum
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  • Mwima Mausoleum
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  • Rwanda Africa Art Museum
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    Nyanza Museum

    MUSEUMS AND MAUSOLEUM

    Nyanza Tourism

    The Nyanza is blessed with two public museums, a Mausoleum and a privately-owned museum Thes include:

  • Kwigira Museum (Rwesero)
    • Like many other hills in Nyanza District, Rwesero hill has an interesting history related to Rwanda Monarchy. On top of the hill is the mordern palace (now Kwigira Museum) of Kinga Mutara III Rudahigwa.
  • The King's Palace Museum
    •  The King's Palace Museum became operational in 2002 and wa officially launched by the Goverment of Rwanda in 2008. The Museum offers a detailed look into the Rwanda monarchical period from the 15th century to 1961.
  • Mwima Mausoleum
    •  Across the valley, and 1 Km from the King's Palace Museum, is the grand Mwima Mausoleum. It is the last resting palace of two Rwandan Kings and on Queen.
  • Rwanda Africa Art Museum
    •  This beautiful and privately-owned museum has a rich display of inter-African artworks that exhibit women's role in traditional ritual beliefs in Africa.

    HERITAGE SITES

    Tourism in Nyanza

    Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy is in close clollaboration with various stakeholders, has identified several important heritage sites in Nyanza District within the framework of heritage sites development and promotion of cultural tourism in Rwanda. This was also possible due to its current status as the cultural hub of the Heritage Corridor Sub-Master Plan. Consequently, these sites will be developed into cultural tourism products in Nyanza. These include:

  • Nyamagana Lake
  • Mu Gakenyeri kwa Musinga
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  • Amariba ya Mutende
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  • Mututu
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  • Ku Bigega
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  • Christ loi
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  • Nyanza Milk Industries
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  • Old King's Court
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  • King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa House
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    Inyambo Palade Vestival

    ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS TO BE DEVELOPED

    Nyanza Beauty

    Nyanza has vast potential to become Rwanda's cultural tourism destination, especiallywith the recently developed cultural trails, certified premium hiking trails, heritage sites, interesting historical stories, and community-based tourism initiatives.
    More tourism products to be developed are:

  • Biking Trails
  • Inyambo Palade Vestival
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  • Community based tourism Initiative
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  • Homestays
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  • Cultural Leaning Centre
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  • Gastronomy
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  • Traditional sports Facility
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  • Camping
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    TOURISM SERVICES

    Products with investment opportunities

  • Nyanza Cultural Village
    • The District plans to rehabilitate Late Nyamagana and its sounding. Interested Investors are invited to construct the Nyanza Cultural Village, which will attract tourists seeking an authentic Rwandan experience.
  • Remera Hill Picnic Area
    •  The peak of Remera Hill at the Big View Trail has tremendous potential to be transformed into a picnic area with facilities that offer refreshements and food fro hikers, tourists, and locals from Nyanza.
  • Cafes and Resturants
    • While it is essential tha the existing local hotels, cafes, and restaurants need to be improved to meet the standards of targerted tourists, Nyanza also requires more quality facilities that provide similar services to tourists, such as Quiet Haven Hotel Nyanza that serves a variety of food and tourist-friendly lodgings.

    INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

    Maintening the Traiils

  • Maintenance of Trails and Heritage Sites
    • Developing trails and heritage sties requires short and long-term efforts to maintain them. stakeholders in Nyanza need to establish a team of local tour guides in which Smart Haven is parting, who will carry out monthly workthroughs of the trails and visit the heritage sites to ensure they are well maintained.
  • Expansion of the Kings' Palace Museus
    • Rwanda Cultural and Heritage Academy proposed a plan to expand Kings' Palace Museum by adding several traditional huts.

    INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

    Maintening the Traiils

  • Trail Beautification
    • This activity will ensure the Nyanza District is represented a clean, welcoming, beautiful and creative through art. Art is an integral part of Rwanda and can be the Medium to develop Nyanza's credentials as a cultural centre and promote Rwandan art and culture.

  • Nyanza Tourist Information Center
    • A significant gap in Nyanza's tourism industry is the visibility of both the old and recently established tourism products. Currently Nyanza has been receiving many visitors, but mos visitors only stop by the King's palace Museum and are unaware of other cultural attractions on offer. Smart Haven is solving that issue by offering a complete tour guide of all touristic destination filling the gap.

    CAPACITY BUILDING

    Tourism and hospitality

    An excellent tourism and hospitality service must be at the core of the Nyanza tourism destination. Smart Haven offers diffrent kind of training in the tourism and hospitality sector in Nyanza to improve standards, especially in food and beverage services, culinary arts, housekeeping, and hospitality management.

    The General Manager who holds a Bachelor degree in International Hotel Management aquired form VATEL HOTEL & TOURISM BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, is offering these course especially to jobless youth in Nyanza.