For communities living around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, tourism is creating opportunities beyond gorilla trekking, with locally made crafts providing both income and memorable souvenirs for visitors.
Tourists visiting the country say handmade products are among the items they take home to preserve memories of their time in Rwanda, particularly because the crafts often reflect local culture and traditional skills.
For artisans living near the park, the growing interest in locally produced artwork has opened another avenue for earning a living from the tourism industry.
Residents produce and sell a range of handcrafted items to visitors, allowing them to benefit directly from the steady flow of tourists visiting the park.
The artisans also benefit indirectly from Rwanda’s tourism revenue-sharing programme, which channels part of national park tourism revenues into development projects in surrounding communities.
Under the programme, 10% of tourism revenues generated by Rwanda’s national parks is allocated to projects benefiting communities living around them.
Four districts surrounding Volcanoes National Park have received more than Rwf1.98 billion through the programme.
Burera received Rwf495 million, while Musanze and Nyabihu each received Rwf659.8 million. Rubavu received Rwf164.95 million.
According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the programme has supported 838 projects benefiting communities around Volcanoes National Park since its introduction, with a combined value of Rwf8.6 billion.
The investment has helped connect tourism with local development while creating opportunities for residents to benefit from an industry that relies heavily on the park’s natural and cultural attractions.
The revenue-sharing programme is also intended to encourage communities to participate in conservation by giving them a direct stake in the benefits generated by protected areas.
For tourists, locally made crafts offer a physical reminder of their experience in Rwanda. For communities around Volcanoes National Park, they represent an opportunity to turn tourism demand and cultural heritage into livelihoods.
