LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMERGING PLAYERS
Reviving Tourism in Rwanda
Prior to the unrest of the early to mid-1990’s, Rwanda boasted a healthy tourism industry: visitors flocked to this beautiful country, which bears the nickname “Land of a Thousand Hills.” The industry suffered a massive downturn during and after the deadly 100-day period in 1994. By the time the genocide had ended and stability was restored, the tourism industry had come to a virtual halt.
Today, tourists are returning to Rwanda. IFC financing and technical assistance is helping to revitalize the tourism industry to meet growing demand. Efforts include investing in refurbishment of existing historic hotels and construction of new properties. IFC also supports social responsibility efforts aimed at HIV/AIDS prevention and promotion of wellness in this country, which is struggling to reduce a high death rate from AIDS and to improve average life expectancy of just over 44 years of age. (Source: Economist World in Figures)
IFC’s Tourism Projects in Rwanda
• Serena Hotel Chain: IFC is partnering with regional industry leader to expand an innovative AIDS program and enhance its employee wellness programs, to reduce the spread of the disease, to improve worker productivity and enhance the company’s bottom line. Patterned on Serena’s successful program in Kenya, efforts are aimed at the broader community as well, and encompass comprehensive care and treatment, voluntary HIV counseling and testing, and free condom distribution. Milles Collines Hotel: IFC has invested in a project to modernize and refurbish this hotel, the “Hotel Rwanda” of movie fame. IFC is also providing guidance on improved fire and life safety standards.
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Development and Economic Impact
• • • • • IFC’s targeted tourism investments are contributing to a strong driver of economic growth in post-conflict Rwanda. Since the end of the war in 1994, the country has experienced average annual real growth of 9.7 percent, among the world’s highest growth rates, according to The Economist. Serena Hotel chain focus is on high-quality, ethnic design that integrates into the landscape and encourages eco-tourism Reduced rate of infection and death from diseases through comprehensive HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and treatment programs for employees and broader community; expansion of successful programs to encompass full scope of wellness, with focus on disease prevention, healthful living and safe workplace practices
Since 2005, IFC Against AIDS team has supported the wellness efforts of Serena Hotels
• • • • Training in monitoring and evaluation of program effectiveness Creation of peer education training program, in partnership with NOPE. Program has positively impacted productivity and reduced employee absenteeism in Serena’s Kenya hotels, and the cost of Serena’s life insurance premiums has been reduced by $90,000 a year $20,000 in grant funding from IFC Against AIDS Seed Funding Program: Serena is the first IFC client to receive funding through this performance-based grant program that supports the implementation and monitoring and evaluation efforts of clients in the area of HIV/AIDS
LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMERGING PLAYERS
‘Hotel Rwanda’ Gets a Makeover: Turning Symbols of Tragedy into Hope
Facelift for Rwanda’s Hotel des Mille Collines
Before it became the symbol of tragedy known as the “Hotel Rwanda”, the Hotel des Milles Collines hotel was a prime tourist destination—a luxuriously appointed, architectural gem in the beautiful country. Now, Mille Collines, where more than a thousand people sought refuge during the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, can return to its former glory, with the help of IFC. As business travelers and tourists began to return to the country following the country’ s return to stability, demand for hospitality services has grown. The revitalization of Mille Collines, with its symbolic importance and strong economic potential, was seen as critical to catalyzing additional tourism investment and to attracting more visitors. IFC’s $2.5 million investment will support refurbishment of the hotel, increasing the supply of high-quality hotel rooms in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and helping the country turn the corner on a difficult period in its history. IFC’s sector specialists in its Global Manufacturing and Services Department also are providing technical guidance to renovate this magnificent but neglected facility and return it to international standards.
For more information about IFC’s Financial Products and Advisory Services in the tourism sector, please contact: Henry Elschner Pedersen 1-202-458-7807, or hpedersen@ifc.org, Carolyn Cain 1-202-473-8843, or ccain@ifc.org, Shaun Mann 1-202-458-7543 or smann@ifc.org
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2008