KIGALI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan tour packages have been placed on one of China's major online travel service platforms, which enable Chinese tourists to directly book a tour to the east African nation, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) said Wednesday in a statement.
The launch of "Visit Rwanda" pavilion on Alibaba's travel arm, Fliggy, followed the launch of the Chinese e-commerce giant's Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) in October, which aims to promote public-private dialogue.
According to the memorandum of understanding signed between the Rwandan government and Alibaba under the framework of eWTP, Fliggy and the RDB will work together to promote Rwanda as a tourist destination through a Rwanda Tourism Store for booking flights, hotels and travel experiences and a Destination Pavilion, where Chinese consumers can learn more about Rwanda.
"We believe that the Visit Rwanda pavilion on Fliggy is one of the avenues that will lead to an increase in tourism traffic to Rwanda from China," said Clare Akamanzi, CEO of the RDB, in the statement.
Chairman of the Rwanda Chamber of Tourism Aimable Rutagarama said the Rwandan tourism sector is confident that putting tourism products on China's online platform helps the industry efficiently penetrate the Chinese market.
The move will also help the tourism sector earn more profits as intermediaries will be bypassed and commissions reduced, said Rutagarama in the statement.
He urged all tourism businesses to embrace the platform and package their services and products in a unique and innovative way to market Rwanda as an attractive and competitive destination.
Rwanda plans to double tourism earnings in the coming years through sustainable wildlife conservation, the RDB said in September.
Rwanda's tourism sector generated 438 million U.S. dollars in 2017, according to the RDB. Endangered mountain gorillas living in Volcanoes National Park contribute about 90 percent of tourism revenues from the country's national parks, RDB statistics showed.
Rwanda boasts other tourist attractions such as Akagera and Nyungwe national parks, and Lake Kivu.
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