Rwanda’s safari lodges are the ultimate in nature travel

The country of a Thousand Hills is a compelling destination for its rare animal experiences, ecological focus and luxury safari lodges.

The World Travel & Tourism Council held its 2023 summit on sustainability in Rwanda, an eco-conscious African country popular for wildlife safaris. Here, the captivating Wilderness Bisate Lodge in Volcanoes National Park. Wilderness Bisate Lodge

The eco-conscious African nation of Rwanda was the ideal host for the recent Global Summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), whose theme was Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future.

Rwanda is the personification of progress, a remarkable comeback kid that has developed exponentially since civil strife 30 years ago.

With astonishing wildlife encounters, rolling savannahs, tropical rainforests and precious national parks, the country is strongly focussed on conservation and “green” tourism.

More than 1,500 delegates from the domains of travel and hospitality attended the WTTC’s first African summit, and for three days brainstormed social, economic and particularly environmental issues.

Then, many of the conference-goers answered the call of the wild, jettisoned their business attire and donned wilderness gear to get up close and personal with silverback gorillas, lions and/or rare cranes.

Makario Safaris organizes luxury destinations such as the green and gorgeous One&Only Nyungwe House near Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, which recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One&Only Rwanda

Green theme:President Paul Kagame addressed the WTTC crowd, noting in 2023 UNESCO awarded the country its first Heritage sites, including the splendid Nyungwe National Park, which encompasses some of Africa’s oldest rainforests and mist-shrouded mountains.

“Visitors to Rwanda appreciate the country’s unparalleled natural beauty,” Kagame said. “We are a premier destination for global travellers who are passionate about ‘green’ travel.”

With environmentalism as the summit’s theme, WTTC president and CEO Julia Simpson said: “Sustainability at the centre of our industry and it remains top priority. Being environmentally conscious is about saving, protecting and loving our communities.”