Domestic Tourism Strategies and its Implications on Economic Growth: Case Study of Rwandan National Parks

Domestic tourism is a critical part of tourism development in Rwanda. However, most of the government’s efforts have been concentrated on the development of international tourism. This focus has resulted in considerable growth in the country’s most significant contributor to the national economy. While the impact of domestic tourism has been addressed in the latest developed Rwanda’s National Tourism Strategy, the initiatives set forward have had minimal effects. This paper aimed to address the issue of an increased focus on domestic tourism contribution in developing the economy of Rwanda besides international tourism. The rationale for this paper supports a strong motivation for a more dedicated approach by Rwanda’s tourism stakeholders (public and private) to develop the country’s domestic tourism market alongside the international market with reference to the national parks of Rwanda. The population under this study was composed of three different groups of respondents at three national parks in Rwanda. These were local residents living adjacent to the three national parks under study; the park authorities and government officials (policymakers) in tourism and conservation-related matters, and tourism and conservation experts. The researcher developed a structured questionnaire that was administered to the selected respondents. The administration of the questionnaire was done by the researcher with the help of three research assistants. The researcher used descriptive analysis to analyse the data.  The data collected using the open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis. The study established that domestic tourism is yet to be developed in Rwanda. The study also reported that domestic tourism has the potential of leading to significant economic development by supplementing revenue generated by foreign tourists