Estructuras hiperbólicas

Since 2010, the main institution responsible for tourism development, marketing, promotion of sustainable

tourism and conservation of wildlife (encompassing wildlife preservation and management of national parks) is the Rwanda Development Board.84 _Its mission emphasizes private sector development and growth. The Board was affiliated to the Ministry of Trade and Industry until 2010, when it was moved under the President’s Office. While no longer directly affiliated to the Ministry, the Board still implements the majority of policies developed by the Ministry, namely policies relating to SMEs and industry, tourism, intellectual property, the national export strategy, and trade and investment. The department responsible for the tourism sector is also responsible for policies related to environmental conservation.

Private Sector Federation (PSF) Rwanda has a tourism chamber consisting of four industry associations, namely accommodation, tour operators, transport and taxis, and private educational institutions. It is a forum for industry cooperation, training, lobbying and raising awareness of the industry’s role and contributions. Local authorities also play an important role in tourism development. The district councils are responsible for community planning; land-use planning; urban and rural development; provision and maintenance of tourist services, sites, attractions and monitoring standards.

The Rwanda Development Board has taken the leading role in the development of the tourism sector and regarding investment attraction in the sector. However, it has been suggested that the Board lacks sufficient personnel to supervise and monitor tourism development85 _{and that is under-resourced}86 _{and that} the private sector (tourism chamber) needs to be strengthened to participate more actively in tourism development.

Regulatory Framework

Rwanda 78

Kenya 108

United Republic of Tanzania 118

Uganda 116

Burundi 130

Table 18. Travel and tourism competitiveness index, 2013 ranking (Regulatory framework)

Source: World Economic Forum, 2013, The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013: Reducing Barriers to Economic Growth and Job Creation.

Box 3.Institutional structure for the promotion of tourism: selected experiences of developing countries

A typical institutional framework for the tourism sector in most countries includes units dealing with the following factors: (a) Investment attraction – creating conditions to ensure attraction of foreign investment in the tourism sector; (b) Marketing and promotion – disseminating information to achieve maximum growth in arrivals;

(c) Product or tourism offer development – developing, for instance, facilities attractions, skills and infrastructure and ensuring quality in the sector or a subsector;

(d) Market intelligence – research and monitoring in the tourism industry to identify emerging needs and inform policy development.

It is less clear to what extent there is a typical institutional setting aimed at maximizing development gains from tourism (for instance, enhancing the contribution of the sector in terms of employment through improved linkages with other economic sectors, local communities and SMEs) and minimizing any potential negative effects of tourism development from the social or environmental perspective.

Several of the mandates mentioned above are currently being carried out by the Rwanda Development Board. The following sections describe certain aspects of institutional frameworks that differ from those of Rwanda in the case of a few developing countries that were ranked higher than Rwanda in a report by the World Economic Forum (Rwanda is ranked 102).

Barbados (ranked 28 – first developing country mentioned on the list)

The Ministry of Tourism is responsible for policy formulation in the sector. A tourism agency, Barbados Tourism Investment Inc., is charged with facilitating investment in tourism. The Barbados Tourism Authority, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, is responsible for promoting tourism; carrying out marketing and market intelligence; registering, licensing and classifying tourist accommodation and restaurants; licensing hotels and regulating other tourist services as determined by the Ministry of Tourism. It also is charged with maintaining existing air and sea passenger transport services to and from Barbados, and cultivating new routes. Interesting features of the institutional structure include the following: the Ministry of Tourism has an agency called Barbados Conference Services Limited responsible for the promotion of event marketing, and the Barbados Tourism Authority maintains 11 offices abroad focused on promotion and event marketing to tourists about Barbados.

Costa Rica (ranked 44 – success story in the development of eco-tourism)

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute is responsible for the design of tourism promotion policy. Its central goal is the promotion of sustainable tourism development by maintaining a balance between economic and social outcomes, environmental protection, culture and country assets. The Institute is also responsible for the implementation and monitoring of tourism policy.

Other public sector organizations share responsibilities in this area. The Ministry of the Environment, for instance, enforces national environmental laws, particularly in national protected areas and other natural assets. It also monitors the environmental performance of tourism companies. Local governments are responsible for policy implementation, as it relates to territorial planning, infrastructure development and public services at tourism sites. The General Controller is responsible for monitoring policy mechanisms, especially tourism incentives. Private sector organizations, such as the National Chamber of Tourism and other business and professional associations, play a consulting and lobbying role in policy design and implementation. An interesting aspect of Costa Rica’s institutional framework is the Institute’s development and oversight of several certification schemes for tourism attractions and sustainable tourism businesses. The latter certification takes into account the level of impact on sustainability, as well as economic, social, and environmental variables, and is aimed at reinforcing Costa Rica’s image as a sustainable tourism destination.

Mauritius (ranked 53 – first African/regional partner mentioned in the list)

The Ministry of Tourism is responsible for policy development. It encompasses several associated agencies. The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority establishes codes of practice and standards, and monitors their compliance. It also promotes Mauritius abroad by conducting advertising campaigns, participating in tourism fairs, and organizing, in collaboration with the local tourism industry, promotional campaigns and activities. The Tourism Authority is in charge of delivering licences and permits. All tourist establishments, as well as listed activities, must obtain a tourist enterprise license from the Tourism Authority before starting their operations. It is administered and managed by a board consisting of a chairperson appointed by the minister in charge of tourism and representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office and Government ministries in charge of tourism and finance; the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and three other persons with wide experience in the tourism industry, appointed by the Minister.

3.5. Trade liberalization commit-