Youth advocate Munyakazi Sadate shares how Visit Rwanda is transforming the country’s image worldwide 🌍, attracting tourists from the USA, Europe, and beyond ✈🏞, and proving that Rwanda is a rising star in culture, history, and adventure.
Youth advocate Munyakazi Sadate has shared his views on the impact of the Visit Rwanda initiative in reshaping Rwanda’s global image and strengthening its tourism sector. He also reflects on how some Europeans still have old, wrong ideas about Africa, but how Rwanda is steadily breaking those stereotypes through consistent and strategic branding.
For many years, Rwanda has stood out among African countries for its remarkable ability to rebuild, redefine its identity, and present itself confidently to the world.
Traveling across Europe and the United States, one can see how perceptions about Rwanda have changed from a small nation with a difficult history to a country that is rising, organized, peaceful, and visionary.
🌍✨ Misconceptions About Africa But Rwanda Stands Out
In a message he shared on X (Twitter), Sadate explained that during his travels in Europe, he met many people who had very little understanding of Africa.
Some Europeans still view Africa as a single country, facing only challenges such as conflict, poverty, and hunger.
However, Sadate noted that these views often change when the conversation turns to Rwanda a country that has successfully presented its culture, progress, and stability to the global community.
🦁🎽 Visit Rwanda: Transforming Rwanda’s Global Image
Sadate emphasizes that the Visit Rwanda campaign has played a major role in reshaping how the world sees Rwanda.
Through partnerships with global sports brands such as Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain,and later the NBA Rwanda has showcased its culture, heritage, and world-class tourism services to millions of people around the world.
He highlights a moment from April 1, 2024, when President Paul Kagame responded strongly to critics questioning Rwanda’s partnerships with major European football clubs.
The President clarified that Rwanda was not donating money, but engaging in win-win partnerships beneficial to both sides.
📊💡 Numbers That Tell the Story
According to Sadate, the results of these partnerships speak for themselves:
Tourism revenue increased by 17% in 2019, rising to $498 million, up from $425 million in 2018.
Tourists from the UK increased by 17%, and visitors from Europe as a whole increased by 22%.
(RDB statistics)
Sadate added that these results show how Rwanda has managed to overturn outdated narratives and replace them with facts, progress, and real experiences.
Even more surprising, Sadate notes that although Visit Rwanda heavily advertised in Europe, most visitors actually come from the United States.
This discovery pushed the campaign to expand more into American sports, including the NBA and cycling new markets with enormous potential.
🚀📈 Rwanda’s Tourism Goals Ahead
In 2024, Rwanda earned $647 million from tourism alone.
The national target is to reach $1 billion by 2029 and Sadate believes this goal is achievable because of the strong leadership and long-term vision guiding the country.
👏🇷🇼 A Message to the Youth
In his concluding remarks, Sadate praises the leadership of President Paul Kagame, recognizing his role in stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, rebuilding national unity, restoring dignity to Rwandans, and placing the country firmly on the global map.
He encourages the youth to remain committed to the country’s development agenda and to continue supporting initiatives that elevate Rwanda internationally.
