Rwanda increases gorilla permits- Terrain Safaris Uganda
Rwanda development board has announced an increase in the price of gorilla permits from $750 to $1500 for all visitors. The chief executive officer of Rwanda Claire Akamanzi said that permits have been increased in order to ensure sustainability of conservation initiatives and enhance visitors experience.” We also want to make sure that communities living near the park area receive a bigger share of tourism revenues to fund development projects and empower them economically”. Exclusive packages for tourists who wish to book a entire gorilla family is $15000 with an exclusive personalized tour guide.Tourists who visit other national parks (Nyungwe and Akagera National parks) for a minimum of 3 days will receive a discount 30% and for conference tourists who stay for pre or post conference to see gorillas will be eligible for a discount of 15%. However, the increase will not affect tourists who had already purchased their permits at the time of announcement. Mountain gorillas are an endangered species with only around 880 remaining in the world. Of those are the Virunga Massif. Rwanda accounts for 62% of the gorilla population. There are currently 20 families habituated for tourism and research in Rwanda. These mountain gorillas exist in two small protected afromontane forest patches in the north west Rwanda, south west Uganda and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC). Prices of gorilla permits per person are at this moment; $ 1500 Rwanda, $ 600 Uganda, $ 400 in Congo.
