A traditional canoe race on the waters of Lake Kivu has become one of the biggest attractions at this year’s Karongi Expo, showing how culture, sport, and business can work together to boost tourism. Organizers say the event attracted more than 3,000 visitors every day, up from 500 to 800 daily visitors in previous years, as the district transformed Lake Kivu from a fishing destination into a center for tourism, investment, and recreation.
A New Way to Celebrate Lake Kivu
Instead of fishing boats quietly crossing Lake Kivu, the shoreline was filled with cheering spectators as teams of men and women raced traditional wooden canoes during the closing day of the Kibuye Summer Beach Festival and Expo.
The canoe competition was one of several activities organized by Yirunga Limited in partnership with the Private Sector Federation (PSF) Karongi to promote tourism while creating new opportunities for local businesses.
Women’s teams opened the competition with a 600-metre race, followed by men’s teams competing on the lake using traditional Rwandan canoes.
Yirunga Limited Managing Director Yves Iyaremye said the competition was designed to change the way people think about Lake Kivu.
“Everything we are doing is to celebrate the beauty of Lake Kivu and promote tourism on the lake. We want people to understand that Lake Kivu is not only for fishing. It is a place where people can enjoy sports, attract tourists, create jobs, and build businesses. Through these activities, local communities can earn income while visitors discover another side of Karongi.”he said
He said the company hopes the canoe race will become an annual national competition bringing together teams from districts across Rwanda.
“We started this competition because we want it to grow into a national championship involving different districts. We first organized a similar event in Rusizi last December, and now we have brought it to Karongi. We believe canoe racing can become an important tourism event for Rwanda.”he said
Expo Attendance Reaches Record Numbers
The canoe race formed part of the Kibuye Summer Beach Festival and Expo, which ran from June 24 to July 4 and combined business exhibitions, tourism, sports, food, and entertainment.
According to organizers, the event brought together 91 exhibitors, including businesses producing Made in Rwanda products as well as exhibitors from outside Rwanda.
The expo recorded its highest attendance since it started.
PSF Karongi Chairperson Ntwali Janvier said more than 3,000 people visited the expo every day, compared to only 500 to 800 visitors daily during previous editions.
“This is an annual event organized by PSF, but this year we worked closely with Yirunga Limited. Our goal was to give businesses a chance to display and sell their products while promoting Karongi District. The partnership brought exhibitors from other districts and introduced new ideas that attracted many more visitors than before.”he said
The festival also included a Café Zone, which attracted between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors, alongside a triathlon featuring swimming, cycling, and running around Lake Kivu and Karongi town.
Sports Driving Tourism and Business
Jean Jacques said introducing sporting events alongside the business exhibition has helped position Karongi as a growing tourism destination.
“We introduced activities that had never been held in Karongi before, including the Café Zone, the Triathlon, and the traditional canoe race. We wanted to promote local talent, encourage people to live healthy lives through sports, and bring more visitors to our district. When more people visit Karongi, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, traders, and other businesses all benefit.”he said
He added that Karongi is home to some of Rwanda’s top triathlon athletes, making the district an ideal location for sports tourism.
Hotels including Delta Resort, Charlton de Malara, and other hospitality businesses also participated in the expo, welcoming visitors and promoting tourism services available around Lake Kivu.
Building a Festival Around Lake Kivu
Following the success of this year’s event, PSF says plans are already underway to expand the festival.
Jean Jacques said organizers are working to attract more investors while making the festival a permanent annual attraction.
“We will continue ouraging investors from across Rwanda and beyond to invest in Karongi. We also want to strengthen cooperation among businesses and continue promoting the district every year. Within the next three months, we expect to confirm dates for a bigger festival that will become another important event for Karongi.”he said
Meanwhile, Yirunga Limited announced that after completing the Karongi Expo, the company will organize another exhibition in Rubavu from July 9 to July 19, continuing its efforts to promote tourism and business along the shores of Lake Kivu.
TCN || The Comments News
