I. Executive summary

The promoter of project for the development of community ecotourism in is the Action for the Development of Community Ecotourism  (ADEC in French abbreviation). The goal of the project which is in some aspects consonant with the regional policies and intentions aiming at the diversification of tourist products is to contribute to the promotion of community ecotourism by devising all forms of tourist attractions within communities and to make them the catalysts of socio-economic development of populations around National parks and lakes, protected areas in Rwanda concerned by the project. The project will use participatory approach to involve local communities but due to inherent local inabilities, the project will resort to donors financial interventions. The local participation will include namely the folklore dancers, ex-poachers, and other members of local communities. The sustainability of the project is rooted first in the firm determination of the promoter to contribute, by all means, to community ecotourism development. Second, the project is planned in the perspective of many actors at national and international level to uphold actions in harmony with sustainable goals (SDGs). Lastly, certain activities of ADEC members will generate income benefiting local communities. These include cultural activities, artistic activities, etc.

II. Regional context and problem analysis with focus to Rwanda

II.1. Tourism and Non-Governmental Organizations

II.2. Problem analysis

 In Rwanda tourism has proven to be not only an engine gor economic developement but also an enhancing mechanism for social development. The Rwanda tourism policy is centered on the promotion of tourism, the improvementof tourist attractions,  the development of tourist infrastructures, the nurturing of entrepreneurial spirit and the encouragement of the quality standards in hospitality sector (UNCTAD, 2014; Kabera, 2017). However, despite those eminent hightened intentions, the concrete actions for the diversification of tourist poroducts remains illusion and the only hospitality actions are ladden with data relating to revenues and statistics on Rwanda’s monolithic tourism (Goriallas and consort). They concern only statistics on the increase of baby gorillas (from 305 in 2014 to 312 in 2015), on hotel infrastructures ( from 8,003 in 2014 to 9,806 in 2016), the arrivals on the aeports (from 67,871 in 2014 to 88,184 in  2016) . Still worse, the problem get aggravated by the absence of operationalization of possibilities meant to create the favorable environment for entrepreneurship allowing the development of local capabilities and potentialities as well as the nurturing of the behavior consonant with the adequate community development . It has been reported by the Institute of National Museum of Rwanda (INMR) that despite the potential and profitabililty of community tourism, the ad hoc progress recorded are deceiving. As an instance, the visits to the museum have been decreasing from 2010 to 2016 . The following figure depicts the situation.

Figure 1: Number of visitors to National Museum of Rwanda

Source: (MINISCOP, 2016, p. 19)

Obviously and despite the governement intentions of making tourism an instrument for social development as well as the nurturing of the community entrepreneurship through the improvement and multiplicatiion of tourist attractions alongside the encouragement of quantity and quality of tourist infratsructures, nothing real appears to be reported regarding community tourism. It is oftetimes the intentions and assumptions without real reported results. Hence, this project intention is to deal with those shortcomings and try to operationalise those noble intentions oftentimes expressed. We can logically deduce that the liaison and marketing activities suffer from notable inadequacy.

III. The goal  and objectives of the Project

  The goal of the project which is in some aspects consonant with the regional policies and intentions aiming at the diversification of tourist products is to contribute to the promotion of community ecotourism by devising all forms of tourist attractions within communities and to make them the catalysts of socio-economic development of populations around National parks and lakes, protected areas in Rwanda by the project.
The specific objectives deriving from the goal are the following:

⦁    To serve as liaison between Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and the local communities of Rwanda
⦁    Protection of mountains  gorillas as well as other protected species by educating local population on the importance of those protected            animal   species ;
⦁    Promote the cultural tourism within Rwanda communities ;
⦁    Make profit from local tourist attractions through marketing and advertising ;
⦁    Promote tourism entrepreneurship within the communities of Rwanda.
⦁    Promote nature conservation activities within Rwanda by the project ;
⦁    Promote the development of community organizations.

IV. The activities of the project

V. Project methodology

The project will use participative approach for the local communities and due to inabilities inherent to local possibilities; the project will resort to financial interventions of donors. The participation of local communities will include mainly folklore dancers, the ex-poachers and other members of local communities.

Figure 3: Rwandese folkloric dancer

Source: (Kabera, 2017, p. 23)

 The participation of local communities will be based on volunteering and benevolence. However, ADEC will organize and do everything necessary to ensure and pay salaries to workers and employees.

VI. Sustainability of the project

The sustainability of the project is rooted first in the firm determination of the promoter to contribute, by all means, to community ecotourism development. Second, the project is planned in the perspective of many actors at national and international level to uphold actions in harmony with sustainable goals (SDGs). Lastly, certain activities of ADEC members will generate income benefiting local communities. These include cultural activities, artistic activities, etc.

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