A total of Rwf1.98 billion has been allocated to four districts surrounding Volcanoes National Park through Rwanda’s tourism revenue-sharing programme, putting a significant pool of tourism money directly into community development.
The funds will be distributed among Musanze, Nyabihu, Burera and Rubavu, with Musanze and Nyabihu receiving the largest shares.
Musanze will receive Rwf659.8 million, while Nyabihu is allocated Rwf659.8 million. Burera will receive Rwf495 million, and Rubavu will get Rwf164.95 million.
The allocation is part of a broader model that channels 10% of tourism revenues from national parks to communities living around protected areas.
The money is intended to finance projects that respond to local development priorities, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, water access and livelihoods.
The latest allocation highlights the growing financial link between the tourism industry and communities living alongside some of the country’s most valuable natural assets.
“Tourism revenue-sharing ensures that communities living around protected areas directly benefit from the economic value generated by conservation,” the programme’s approach demonstrates, as tourism income is channelled into projects designed to improve livelihoods and strengthen community support for conservation.
The Rwf1.98 billion allocation therefore represents more than a transfer of funds to district authorities.
It is part of an effort to ensure that income generated by attractions such as Volcanoes National Park contributes to development in the communities closest to them.
The programme has already become a significant source of community investment. More than Rwf23 billion has reportedly been invested in nearly 1,300 community projects through tourism revenue sharing since its establishment.
With Volcanoes National Park remaining a major tourism destination, particularly for mountain gorilla experiences, the revenue-sharing model continues to position tourism as a source of both conservation financing and local economic development.
The latest Rwf1.98 billion allocation underscores the financial impact of that approach: as tourism generates income from protected areas, a portion of the proceeds is returned to the communities whose livelihoods and development are closely connected to those conservation landscapes.
