The launch of Ruzizi Tented Lodge in Akagera national park is a boost in the expansion of domestic tourism markets.

The lodge seats on the shores of Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second largest lake, in a tract of unique dry forest.

Although treated as a separate business in its own right, Akagera National Company constructed the lodge with its revenue fully given back to the conservation of the park.

Clare Akamanzi, the deputy CEO of Rwanda development board ‏posted on her twitter that the launch of the newly built tented lodge will boost tourism at this park.

“Akagera is even getting more exposure because when people talk about the only tented lodge in Rwanda they will talk about the park, hence concurrently exposed through customer experience,” Imasy Ramampy, the Assistant Manager at Ruzizi.

“The Lodge was built as part of a Tourism Development Plan in order to increase park revenue for the protection and conservation of the park as a whole,” said Imasy Ramampy, the Assistant Manager at Ruzizi.

The design of the lodge includes the provision of solar power from solar panels as well as the incorporation of trees along with raised wooden boardwalks linking the tents.

Akagera is popular for other activities such as game drives, boat trip game viewing on the lakes and along the Akagera River.

In August this year, Ruzizi launched New Luxury Tree-top Tent making an addition of two tents to the lodge.

The manger explained that with this development, Ruzizi is able to accommodate a maximum of 20 people in 9 tented en-suite rooms.