Mugabi Derrick is a hospitality professional and tourism entrepreneur whose career has evolved from hotel management and international event coordination to business ownership in Rwanda’s growing tourism and accommodation sector.
He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Gorilla Hub Safaris, an officially licensed tour operator by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), offering tour packages, hotel reservations and car rental services.
He also runs Cascadia Serviced Apartments in Kigali, providing accommodation for business and leisure travellers.
With 12 years of experience in hospitality and tourism, his professional journey spans hotel operations, sales and marketing, customer relations, accommodation management and travel coordination.
He has also been involved in accommodation arrangements for major international conferences, sporting competitions and institutional gatherings hosted in Rwanda.
His career reflects how professional experience, industry relationships and entrepreneurship can create opportunities beyond traditional hotel operations, particularly as Rwanda continues strengthening its position as a destination for international visitors.
Tourism and Hospitality Businesses
Through Gorilla Hub Safaris, he is focused on connecting visitors with different aspects of Rwanda’s tourism experience.
The company offers organised tour packages, hotel reservations and car rental services, helping travellers coordinate essential elements of their journeys.
His involvement in Cascadia Serviced Apartments complements this business direction by extending his interests into accommodation services for business travellers, international visitors and other guests seeking serviced residential facilities in Kigali.
Together, these business interests reflect his understanding of the relationship between tourism, accommodation and transport, particularly as Rwanda continues attracting international visitors for business, leisure, conferences and sporting events.
His approach to the industry is informed by years of experience working directly with hotel clients, corporate customers, event organisers and international visitors.
For him, hospitality is not simply about providing accommodation but about creating an environment in which guests feel valued and receive services that meet their expectations.
“Hospitality is about creating an experience that makes people feel welcomed, valued and comfortable. It requires professionalism, attention to detail and the ability to understand what every client needs,” he explains.
Partnerships, Achievements in Major International Events
Throughout his career, he managed to establish working relationships and partnerships with event organisers and industry players, including Events Factory, Travel Zuri, Cube Communications and Rwanda Events.
Through these engagements, he contributed to accommodation arrangements for major international events hosted in Rwanda, including the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), FIFA-related activities, Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the Africa CEO Forum.
His experience also extends to AfroBasket and Africa CDC-related activities, demonstrating his involvement in hospitality services supporting international sporting, business and institutional visitors.
Through these assignments, the teams he worked with helped accommodate more than 10,000 people attending different events, ensuring visitors received appropriate accommodation services during their stay.
The work involved coordinating with hotel teams, event organisers and accommodation providers to manage bookings and respond to the requirements of international guests.
Such engagements require more than securing hotel rooms. They involve detailed planning, effective communication, understanding event schedules and ensuring accommodation arrangements meet the expectations of organisers and visitors.
“Working around major international events requires preparation, strong relationships and the ability to deliver under pressure. Every visitor has expectations, and the responsibility of hospitality professionals is to ensure that those expectations are properly addressed,” he says.
His experience in these engagements highlights the contribution of hospitality professionals to Rwanda’s capacity to host international conferences, sporting competitions and business gatherings.
As the country continues positioning itself as a destination for major international events, accommodation providers and tourism businesses play an important role in supporting the overall visitor experience.
Hotel Management Experience
Before developing his current business interests, he built his professional foundation through positions in established hospitality institutions in Kigali.
Between 2016 and 2019, he worked as Sales Manager at Urban by CityBlue Hotels and Epic, where he gained experience in hotel sales, client relationship management and business development.
The position provided him with an understanding of the commercial side of hospitality, particularly the importance of attracting clients, maintaining corporate relationships and promoting hotel services to different market segments.
In September 2020, he joined ONOMO Hotel Kigali as Sales and Marketing Manager, a position he held until September 2025.
During this period, he further developed his experience in sales strategies, marketing, reservations, customer engagement and maintaining relationships with corporate clients, individual travellers and organisations requiring accommodation services.
Working within these hospitality establishments exposed him to different categories of guests, including business travellers, international visitors, conference participants and event organisers.
His professional experience also strengthened his understanding of how hotels attract and retain customers, manage reservations and maintain service standards while responding to changing guest expectations.
The knowledge and relationships developed during these years provided a foundation for his eventual transition into entrepreneurship and the establishment of his own tourism and accommodation businesses.
From Hotel Management to Business Leadership
His move into entrepreneurship represents an effort to apply the knowledge and professional networks developed throughout his hotel career to a wider tourism market.
Through Gorilla Hub Safaris, he brings together different services required by visitors, including organised tours, accommodation reservations and car rentals.
The business reflects his understanding that travellers increasingly look for convenient services that simplify the process of planning and experiencing a destination.
Rather than concentrating on accommodation alone, the company seeks to connect visitors with different aspects of their travel arrangements through one business platform.
His experience in hotel sales and marketing has also provided him with a foundation in client management, reservations and the professional relationships required to coordinate tourism services.
Alongside his responsibilities at Gorilla Hub Safaris, he continues running Cascadia Serviced Apartments in Kigali, extending his involvement in the accommodation sector.
The property serves business travellers, visitors and leisure guests seeking serviced accommodation, further demonstrating his interest in the different segments of Rwanda’s hospitality market.
Career Built on Relationships and Professional Experience
Looking across his career, three interconnected areas stand out: hotel management, international event-related accommodation services and tourism entrepreneurship.
His experience at Urban by CityBlue Hotels and Epic, followed by five years at ONOMO Hotel Kigali, established his foundation in hospitality operations and commercial management.
His involvement in accommodation arrangements connected to major international gatherings expanded his exposure to international visitors, event organisers and the requirements of large-scale conferences and sporting competitions.
The establishment and management of Gorilla Hub Safaris, alongside Cascadia Serviced Apartments, represent the entrepreneurial direction of that experience.
As Rwanda continues strengthening its reputation as a destination for international conferences, sporting events, business travel and leisure tourism, professionals with experience connecting accommodation, transport and customer services remain an important part of the country’s wider hospitality ecosystem.
His journey from hotel management to business ownership demonstrates how professional experience, industry relationships and entrepreneurship can create opportunities beyond traditional hotel operations.
Ultimately, the hospitality entrepreneur is seeking to transform years of industry experience into businesses that connect visitors with Rwanda while contributing to the country’s growing tourism and accommodation landscape.
