5. Ecotourism Assessment_DRC.pdf

Democratic Republic of Congo

Congo Basin Nature-Based Tourism Assessment

Country Snapshot Pages 1-2

Country Analysis & Recommendations

Pages 3-9

Priority Site Packets Page 10

Destination Snapshot Key Page 11

Kahuzi-Biega National Park Site Snapshot, Site Scorecard, Site Analysis, & Recommendations Pages 12-20

Salonga National Park Site Snapshot, Site Scorecard, Site Analysis, & Recommendations Pages 20-28

Okapi Wildlife Reserve Site Snapshot, Site Scorecard, Site Analysis, & Recommendations Pages 29-36

Virunga National Park Site Snapshot, Site Scorecard, Site Analysis, & Recommendations Pages 37-45

USAID FABS

Congo Basin Nature-Based Tourism Assessment

Table of Contents

E-Visa:

No.

Tourist Visa Cost:

US Citizens: $100 short stay visa (<1 month) UK Citizens: $175 short stay visa (<1 month) EU Citizens: $93 short stay visa (<1 month)

An additional $75 Airport Transit Visa fee is required of all international travelers with round-trip airfare

Supplementary Requirements:

Letter of invitation Booked return flight (with proof) Booked accommodation (with proof)

(These extra steps increase the burden on visitors and hosts)

Nuances of the visa process:

Visa applications are estimated to take approximately 21 days and require the passport at the Embassy during processing.

The ATOAV-RDC reports that for travelers visiting Virunga NP or Kahuzi-Biega NP, tourist visas can be granted through trusted tour operators or travel agencies.

Tourism Visa Information

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, 2019

World Economic Forum

Overall Ranking: 136th of 140

Sub-Sahara Africa Ranking: 31st of 34

Tourism Policy & Enabling Conditions: 140th Infrastructure: 137th

Natural & Cultural Resources: 53rd Travel & Tourism prioritization: 140th

Safety & Security: 123rd Environmental Sustainability: 115th

Tourist Service Infrastructure: 132nd

In 2020, the Democratic Republic of Congo launched its National Tourism Policy. The Ministry of Tourism partnered with the UNWTO to develop the strategy, serving as a formal 10-year plan.

National Tourism Associations

National Tourism Strategies & Policy

According to the DRC Embassy website, the government’s primary interventions related to the tourism sector include:

Promotion and preservation (of flagship wildlife and national parks) Green tourism promotion & environmental conservation Valuation and development of natural sites Tourist transportation & accessibility Development of accommodation sites and hospitality facilities (especially in emerging destinations) Creation of service agencies and tourist offices Support for the training & promotion of tourism (guide training, website editing, production of promotional materials, etc.)

Additionally, DRCongo has also developed an internal Tourism Investment Master Plan (2013-2028) as well as an ‘Investing in Tourism Plan, 2016’ for investors.

XXX

Association of Tour Operators

& Travel Agencies in DRC

(ATOAV-RDC)

There are 19 active members, also marketed as ‘Trusted

Operators in DRCongo”

6-person Executive Board https://atoav-rdc.org/

ATOAV-RDC Mission:

To protect members' interests through advocacy and facilitate their access to national and international tourism markets To continually maintain a platform to establish guidelines, rules, operating mechanisms for tour operators and travel agencies to ensure quality service to customers To contribute to the protection of the environment, preservation of cultures and the economic rehabilitation of local populations through responsible tourism

The UNWTO Tourism Dashboard & WTTC’s DRC Country Report

Estimated Travel & Tourism Jobs:

492,400, 1.7% of country total (2019)

491,500, 1.5% of country total (2022)

GDP Contribution:

$1.0B USD/1.9% (2019)

$1.0B USD/1.7% (2022)

Inbound Arrivals:

No data

International Visitor Spending:

$84.3M USD (2019), $107M USD (2022)

Domestic Visitor Spending:

$704M USD (2019), $719M USD (2022)

Top Source Markets (2022):

Angola (#1), France, Belgium, India, Germany

Destination Snapshot:

Democratic

Republic of Congo Target Country

Target Country

Top National Parks for Tourism, based on traveler content on TripAdvisor (2023)

Virunga National Park

5/5 stars 243 Reviews

Bombo Lumene National Park

4/5 stars 3 Reviews

Garamba National Park

4/5 stars 1 Review Salonga

National Park

No ratings or reviews

Kahuzi-Biega National Park

5/5 stars 66 Reviews

TripAdvisor

514 properties listed, mod. volume 4,039 hotel reviews

Product variation:

Budget: 12, MidRange: 34, Luxury: 15

209 ‘Things to Do’ listed 46 tours linked for booking

Online Presence

Lonely Planet

21 ‘Must-See Sights’ 1 linked activity for booking

2 National Parks listed:

Virunga, Kahuzi-Biega

National Tourism Website:

None

No site found in search engine top 60 results.

DRC Embassy website has basic travel information and visa notes.

Overall Score: 5% Regional Average: 35%

Major routes:

Brussels, Belgium Paris, France Casablanca, Morocco Istanbul, Turkiye Cairo, Egypt Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Johannesburg, South Africa Luanda, Angola Nairobi, Kenya Entebbe, Uganda

Non-major routes:

Lome, Togo

Major International Hubs

N’dijili International Airport (FIH) Located in: Kinshasa, DRC’s capital city

Flight Volume: 12 direct destinations

Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM) Located in: Lubumbashi, second largest city

Flight volume: 5 direct destinations

Goma International Airport (GOM) Located in: Goma, capital of DRC’s North Kivu Province

Flight volume: 3 direct destinations Major routes:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Nairobi, Kenya Johannesburg, South Africa

Non-major routes:

Lusaka, Zambia Lilongwe, Malawi

Major routes:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Nairobi, Kenya

Non-major routes:

Bujumbura, Burundi

Easy to Find (Tourism [Name])

Google Meta Description

Stunning Imagery

General Overview Information

What to Do

Where to Stay

How to Get There

Ability to Learn and Then Act on Information

Tourism Website Ranking Criteria: No official website

Information gathered from: DRC Embassy webpage, DRCInvest.com, ATOAV-RDC.org, LonelyPlanet (Nov. 2023), Tripadvisor (Nov. 2023), WEF Competitiveness Index (2019), UNWTO Tourism Dashboards, Embassy Websites, WTTC Country Reports, FlightConnections.com, LogisticsCluster.org, Independent Field Research, and Independent Stakeholder Interviews.

Destination Snapshot:

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has 53 protected areas covering 324,768km² of land and an additional 31km² of marine & coastal seascape. Of these, 9 are national parks, 12 are hunting areas, and 11 are nature reserves. DRC is mostly landlocked except for a few kilometers of Atlantic coastline to the west of the country [1]. Although boasting the world’s second largest area of tropical rainforest, the country has a range of ecosystems including dry rainforests, woodland forests, savannah ranges, grasslands, mountains and cloud forests [2].

DRC ranks 16th on the global biodiversity index [3] and 10th for number of bird species by country, a leader among its Congo Basin peers [4]. DRC also ranks 50th in the world in the Biodiversity & Habitat category of the Environmental Performance Index on its efforts to protect natural land-and-seascapes, average for its regional peers [5]. The country hosts many endemic species such as the Western Lowland Gorilla (Grauer's gorilla), bonobos, okapis and eastern chimpanzees, and the conservation of its diverse habitats is critical for conservation.

The Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) is the agency charged with oversight and management of protected areas in DRC. There are collaborative management partnerships between ICCN and several international conservation NGOs for certain parks, for example there is a long-term co-management agreement over Salonga NP with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), for Upemba NP (with Forgotten Parks Foundation) and Kahuzi- Biega NP (with the Wildlife Conservation Society).

According to publicly available data (which is limited and out of date), the country received some 350,000 inbound visitors in 2016, with a 5-year average of 279,400 visitors [6]. This figure represents all international visitors, such as those traveling for business, visiting friends and family, etc. Leisure travelers are included in this figure but likely make up a small proportion of the total. Globally, DRC ranks 156th in the world in visitor numbers and 7th in Central Africa [7].

One of the principal reasons that DRC receives low visitor numbers is insecurity. Continuing tensions and fighting between armed and rebel groups, kidnappings and civil unrest in the east of the country and in parts of the south have prompted Governments to issue Level 3 and 4 ‘Do Not Travel/Reconsider Travel/Advise Against all But Essential Travel’ warnings such as by the U.S. Department of State and equivalent warnings from other countries. There is also a general perception of insecurity and personal risk which deters travel among many potential visitors.

Another reason for the low visitation numbers may also be due to limited government commitment to tourism promotion and development, noted by studies prior to 2020.

Although the first International Tourism Fair was hosted by DRC in December 2020 and the country launched a national tourism strategy & policy the same year, these events coincided with a period of protracted travel disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which many even established tourism destinations are still recovering from.

Overview

Country Analysis:

The vast landscapes of the DRC, sizable protected areas and unique wildlife and habitats provide the raw materials to be a significant tourism draw. However issues of insecurity, access, operating environment and limited historic focus on the sector at a national level result in small amounts of tourism activity within the protected areas of the country at the current time.

Based on the screening process conducted by the assessment team, four protected landscapes have short and medium-term tourism potential in the country:

Kahuzi-Biega National Park Salonga National Park Okapi Wildlife Reserve Virunga National Park

Other protected areas were identified as having tourism potential in the screening process, but ultimately not prioritized in the shortlist for further analysis. These include:

Upemba National Park was not prioritized because of security constraints and the levels of overhunting that have significantly impacted wildlife numbers, although this may warrant further exploration in the future.

Lomami National Park was not included in the shortlist of protected areas, as the site is still largely unexplored and requires more on-site research and wildlife inventories to assess its tourism potential.

Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve was also not included in the shortlist due to very difficult accessibility for potential visitors. According to stakeholders, on a 10-day trip to the reserve, only 3-4 days are actually spent in the protected area. The rest are travel to and from the reserve.

Ekolo ya Bonobo Community Reserve appears to be a site with potential, but was ultimately not included in this report due to lack of available information. However this park warrants further analysis.

N’Sele Valley Park was not included due to concerns relating to land ownership and wildlife, much of which is brought in and is not native to the site.

Nature-Based Tourism

Country Analysis:

Democratic Republic of Congo

[1] Protected Planet, Democratic Republic of Congo Country Profile [2] https://www.adaptation-undp.org/explore/africa/dr-congo [3] The Swiftest Biodiversity Index [4] Data from BirdLife International. summarized at MongaBay.com https://rainforests.mongabay.com/03birds.htm [5] Wolf, M. J., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., de Sherbinin, A., Wendling, Z. A., et al. (2022). 2022 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. Epi.yale.edu:

[6] https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo/tourist_arrivals/ [7] https://www.worlddata.info/africa/congo-kinshasa/tourism.php https://www.protectedplanet.net/country/COD https://theswiftest.com/biodiversity-index/ https://rainforests.mongabay.com/03birds.htm

Infrastructure, Access, & Services International air access to DRC is relatively good, notably from Kinshasa’s N’djili International Airport (with direct flights to Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, etc.) and to a lesser extent to regional hubs including from Lubumbashi and Goma airports (with flights to Addis Ababa and Nairobi for example). Within the Congo Basin region however connectivity from the DRC is poor with direct flights only to the Republic of Congo, which may influence development of tourism circuits in the region.

Generally, the road and water network in most of the country has limited utility for visitors accessing more remote parks due to the extreme time it takes to move along these arteries.

Although in some parts of the country, boats and pirogues are the primary way to access the more remote areas. Other exceptions include roads that connect parks near to the eastern border with Uganda and Rwanda, which are reportedly in relatively good condition, and those around major urban hubs.

Owing to the size of the country and poor condition of the road network, the domestic aviation sector could play a significant role in improving access to PAs . However domestic airlines in DRC have a poor safety record - UN Agencies and international NGOs often avoid using domestic commercial carriers - and all of the country’s domestic airlines are on the EU blacklist.

Work to raise the standard of the domestic aviation sector will mean setting up reliable charter flights from the major airports, well-maintained airstrips in proximity to the PAs, investment in equipment and trained personnel. However the cost of investment here is a deterrent, and in the near term it is likely that only small-scale, high net worth markets will be able to access more remote parks and therefore a focus on these markets will be needed while wider work to increase air access is assessed at the national level. Work here could be modeled on Gabon that has significantly improved its domestic aviation sector in recent times.

For PAs in the east of the country, road access is critical (e.g from Goma, Bukavu, etc.) as a significant proportion of visitors fly to Uganda or Rwanda and cross into DRC. Facilitating the visa and border crossing process at these key hubs will be critical to attracting more visitors.

Doing Business On most measures the DRC scores extremely poorly on ‘ease of doing business,’ (183/190 countries) although it is relatively easy to open a business compared to other countries in the region (ranked 7th in Africa). Challenges include poor access to basic services and infrastructure, corruption, and the tax system. The tourism sector in the country is currently small and centered around historically popular attractions such as Virunga National Park or urban hubs including Kinshasa.

Enabling Environment

Country Analysis:

Security As previously discussed the security situation in much of the country is poor, and especially in the east around Virunga NP and other parks in the area. For tourism to flourish at any scale the security situation needs to improve and be sustained before significant investment and visitation can be achieved. In the shorter term domestic, resident and regional markets hold the greatest opportunity for small scale tourism activities.

Visa Process The other key constraint to tourism development is the visa process. This is typically an international traveler's first experience with a country they are considering visiting and can significantly influence their willingness to travel there. Countries that have a focus on attracting visitors often make this as easy and painless for visitors as possible. The visa process for DRC is burdensome, with no e-visa or visa on arrival system for most international markets and a lengthy application procedure requiring one's passport to physically be at the embassy during the process.

The national tourism association (ATOAV-RDC) does however report that for travelers visiting Virunga or Kahuzi-Biega National Parks tourist visas can be granted directly through trusted tour operators or travel agencies. This would justify further exploration at a national level, but is not properly documented or explained on any websites and it is likely few visitors are currently aware of this. There is also no national tourism website promoting tourism or protected areas in the country, a gap that would be one of the first steps to start to position the DRC as a nature tourism destination.

Community Development Stakeholder interviews emphasized the need for community engagement as a critical enabler to conserve nature and develop the nature-based tourism sector. Local education programs that build awareness, understanding and seek to provide economic opportunity for communities are vitally important for the long-term success of parks and tourism within them. Expansion of programs that support education, skills development as well as local entrepreneurship, through tourism and other economic opportunities should be prioritized at a site or landscape scale, and supported through efforts at the national level.

Enabling Environment

Country Analysis:

Recommendations

** Help establish a ‘Tourism Working Group,’ that includes representatives from relevant stakeholder groups, notably government, private sector and civil society. This group would help to guide the activities proposed in the Government’s Tourism Strategy as well as recommendations in this document. This would also provide a venue for government and stakeholders to discuss needs, issues and opportunities as well as collectively plan actions to address them.

One organization should be identified as the ‘facilitator’ and play this role for at least 3-years to organize meetings, coordinate among representatives and share information with the broader network of tourism stakeholders in the country. This organization could also provide training to build the capacity of those working in tourism (e.g. government, NGOs and the provide sector) and share data on tourism trends, models and case studies that are relevant. The goal would be to foster greater awareness, networking and collaboration within the sector.

** The DRC government has shown interest in and given greater priority to tourism in recent years with the development of the National Tourism Strategy & Policy in 2020. Supporting this initial step there is a need for the development of a national tourism website that highlights the visitor opportunities in the country, especially its natural assets. The website would also be a venue to provide clear information on the security situation in different locations and how to travel around the country.

The development of the website could be coupled with the development of a marketing and communications strategy and content creation (video, imagery and text) that can be used to help promote the country. Initially this could also include influencer / content creator trips to position the country as a place to travel within targeted domestic, regional and international markets.

Lower Cost & Short-Term Actions:

**Critical Enabler

Country Analysis:

As the regulatory and business operating environment is significantly burdensome, each business is forced to commit significant staff time and resources in understanding and managing the regulatory environment in which they operate. Changing these bureaucratic systems will take time and require the government's willingness to push them through. There is therefore a need in the short/medium term for individuals or organizations that can understand the systems as they relate to tourism and help businesses navigate them. A ‘Tourism Business Coach/Facilitator’ who can help investors navigate the systems, understand what’s needed and have a full understanding of the sector, rather than each business figuring it all out themselves each time could play a key role here. They would act as a tourism business coach and ‘fractional-staffer,’ supporting and navigating the regulatory and operating environment for multiple businesses, rather than each one having to dedicate staff to this role.

A program could be established to competitively recruit and train local ‘Tourism Business Coach/Facilitators,’ and help them establish this as a support service for businesses in the sector

(as well as NGOs operating tourism facilities). Experts would work with the local tourism coaches to ensure they fully understand all tourism related taxes, regulations and requirements as well as who’s doing what and the tourism ‘universe’ of the country. They would be supported for a fixed period of time (3-4 years) to supply these services to current and potential investors in the sector to smooth the process of investing by helping to facilitate all of the steps required for tourism investment as well as for tourism operators in the sector.

Their role would also be to make connections and build networks (as a facilitator) in the sector.

This role would help reduce the number of ‘unknowns’ for investors, taking on responsibilities that distract investors from their primary objectives. Once established the ‘Tourism Business Coach/Facilitator,’ can also offer these services to future tourism businesses (or other businesses) on a commercial basis after the initial funding is finished.

Support the government, private sector and NGOs working in the tourism sector to review the current visa and immigration procedures with the goal to streamline the visa/immigration process and ideally move it online (e-visa) and at the border (visa on arrival). An initial model may exist with the national tourism association (ATOAV-RDC), which reportedly can grant visas for visitors to Virunga or Kahuzi-Biega National Parks. Review this process and look to expand it to a national level program. Through the same process review the overall visa and border crossing process to streamline a visa and broader crossing procedure that is more streamlined and welcoming for visitors.

Higher Cost & Medium-Term Actions:

Country Analysis:

Through the ‘Tourism Working Group’ described earlier, a small number of priority tourism circuits should be identified that link priority protected areas in logical packages for visitors. A plan should be developed detailing each circuit and what the gaps/needs are. These may be entirely within DRC or include neighbors such as Uganda and Rwanda. These priority routes should then be the focus of a tourism product development push, including the identification of investment costs and needs (public or private), connection modalities and training (especially where communities can be involved). This would be followed by investment promotion to engage with public and private funders to realize the establishment of the priority circuits.

Given the present security situation, there is a significant need to ensure communities around the protected areas are supportive of the conservation efforts being implemented and feel they benefit from activities in the area. Education is a critical part of this, to build awareness and skills as well as stimulate local entrepreneurship. A program could be established that provides programming and support to engage communities around protected areas as well as local ‘business incubators’ to support local enterprise, some of which might be community led tourism activities.

Higher Cost & Medium-Term Actions:

Country Analysis:

Democratic Republic of Congo

Building on the website and initial ‘storytelling’ actions described in the short-term recommendations, a more sustained, 5-year branding and marketing campaign will be needed.

This should initially focus on attracting more domestic and regional visitors who are easier to access and more familiar with the regional context as well as business travelers that may be encouraged to stay additional days. Once momentum has been built with these markets, the campaign could expand to focus on specific international tourism niches, such as adventurous nature-based travelers, birdwatchers and nature-based educational markets.

Democratic Republic of Congo:

Priority Protected Areas

Destination Snapshots, Scorecards, Site Analyses, & Recommendations

Destination Maturity Scale:

None = No tourism facilities or tourist infrastructure in the park

Basic = Only simple, self-service facilities in the park

Limited = One serviced tourism facility operating in the park

Diverse = Multiple serviced tourism facilities & touristic infrastructure in the park

Destination Maturity Definitions:

Nearby park headquarters = Within 5-10km of park boundary

Self-serviced accommodations = no staff, basic facilities. Serviced accommodations = Comes with some type of formal touristic service (i.e., staff, a restaurant, etc.)

Visitor activities special request = They need to be organized through an NGO or other organization and are not readily commercially available

Visitor activities openly available = They are commercially available to visitors, without the need for special connections

Accessibility:

International Air = The closest &/or most popular international airport for tourists to the park

Domestic Air = The closest domestic airports or local airstrips for travelers to the park

Ground & Water = Details roads and waterways used to access the park, including route information from airports and nearby cities

Within Parks = How travelers move within park boundaries, including relevant roadways, waterways, hiking paths, and relevant modes of transportation

Seasonality Icons:

Sun = Dry season(s)

Rain = Wet/Rainy season(s)

When relevant, also includes important wildlife seasons and/or the ‘best’ time to visit.

Geographic Features:

Standout, iconic, or distinctive geographic features in or around the park

Wildlife:

Key species that can be found in the park

Human Capital:

Description of the technical expertise available in and around the park (i.e., conservation partners &

NGOs) as well as the tourism capacities of local communities and residents.

Destination Snapshots Key

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC Destination Snapshot:

Accessibility:

Int’l Air

Kigali Int’l Airport (Rwanda) is the most popular arrival airport.

257 km to Bukavu (7hrs)

Goma Int’l Airport: 198 km to Bukavu (7hrs)

Most tour operators have formal pick-up services from these airports. Kigali transport services are especially popular, as the guides/drivers can help facilitate Rwanda-DRC border crossing as well.

Domestic Air

Kamembe Airport (Rwanda): Receives charter flights between DRC on an irregular schedule, 5km north of Rusizi

Kavumu Airport (DRC):

Light aircraft & charter flights, 25km north of Bukavu

Ground

Drive from Bukavu:

40 km of good roads to the park entrance at Tshivanga (eastern side)

Good ground accessibility from multiple locations:

From Kigali: 7 hrs From Burundi: 3 hrs

Driving possible, but not recommended:

From Uganda: Route is much longer

From Goma: Unsafe

Ferry from Goma:

There are speed boats and public ferries that cross Lake Kivu, ranging from 3-5hrs

Within Park

A road bisects the park, facilitating an easier process to reach the trailheads and Gorilla camps.

Travelers can rent 4WD trucks and 4x4 safari vehicles in Kigali for competitive rates.

Site Destination Maturity

Relative to the Congo Basin Market

Accommodations & Facilities

Within the Park:

Multiple campsites near park headquarters, recommended for travelers to stay in on their second day of gorilla trekking.

Sites are mainly located along Lake Kivu, tents are “nice,” and mattresses are included.

Plans for an on-site lodge.

Outside the Park

In Bukavu, wide variety of accommodations.

Upper luxury, standard luxury, mid-range, and basic accommodations available at multiple market price-points.

Lodge options, links, and recommendations are compiled on an independent website.

Quick Facts:

600,000 Hectares Primary Tropical Forest and Volcanoes IUCN Category - Not Applicable UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site Park Entry Fee: Not known

Activity fees for international travelers:

Mountain hiking: 35USD, Camping: 50USD

Gorilla Habituation: Multiple Successful Families Trekking fee: 400USD for foreigners

Seasonality:

June-September, December-February October & November, March-May

Screenshot from ProtectedPlanet.net

Transportation Infrastructure

Park Headquarters

Availability of

Accommodations

Accommodation Product

Variation

Visitor Activities

Activity Product Variation

Good

Onsite

Self-service

High (nearby)

Openly Available

High

None Basic Limited Diverse

TripAdvisor Reviews 2022 - 2023

“...get a reputable tour guide and go for it if you're up for an adventure”

“It was beyond my expectations. I loved the park and the rangers made the experience that much more special.”

“Fabulous and moving experience in a park not very frequented by tourists and for a much cheaper hike than in Rwanda”

“Magnificent experience!”

““It's a difficult trek but well worth it!”

“Visiting this park also means providing support for [conservation].”

TripAdvisor Reviews 2018 - 2019

“All the rangers and guides were friendly and greatly appreciative of your visit to the park.”

“[Bwindi & Virunga] have charms, but I do recommend this the most.”

“...So long as folks like the team at [KBNP] create personalized experiences like we had, they deserve more visitors.”

Human Capital

WCS: Management authority & funding through a PPP

Under this agreement, WCS has committed to using a human-rights based approach to park management, especially regarding the Indigenous Batwa communities.

There are a handful of highly reputable tour guides and travel companies working in/around the park.

Compiled lists of recommended operators can be found online.

TripAdvisor Reviews2019 - 2021

“The 5 stars is for the people that run the show... The lodges and camp sites on scene are also fantastic.”“I implore anyone that can to go to this magical place to do so. ““Security was good, everything was guarded and you never felt like it wasdangerous.”“This is, in every sense, the best value for money to see gorillas.”“A welcome in the chaotic world oftravel to DRC.”

TripAdvisor Rating:

66 Total Reviews

Google Reviews Rating:

110 Total Reviews

Information sourced from TripAdvisor (Nov. 2023), Google Reviews (Nov. 2023), KahuziBiegaNationalPark.com, UNESCO, Protected Planet, Logistics Cluster.org, WCS, Government Websites, BirdLife International (2024), Independent Field Visits, and Stakeholder Interviews

Google Maps (2023) Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

Current & Potential Natural Tourism Assets:

Geographic Features:

Dominated by two extinct volcanoes (Kahuzi and Biega) and rainforests.

West of Lake Kivu (outside park boundaries).

Luka, Lugulu, and Lualaba Rivers.

Small part of park lies in the Mitumba Mountain range of the Albertine Rift.

Considered one of the most important sites in the Rift-Albertine Valley.

Close to Rwanda and Burundi borders as well as neighboring Virunga NP -major cross-border tourism circuit potential.

Wildlife:

Unique: Contains one of the last groups of Eastern

Lowland Gorillas.

Eastern Chimpanzees, Forest Elephants & Buffaloes.

~350 bird species, Designated an Important Bird

Area by BirdLife International.

https://www.kahuzibieganationalparkcongo.org/tour-operators/

Additional Insights from Survey:

There is some interest from tourism investors and opportunities for expanded tourism in Kahuzi-Biega NP.

Tourism circuit opportunities & site linkages, as suggested by expert stakeholders:

Virunga National Park Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda)

Key Takeaways:

Both ground and domestic air accessibility to the site rank higher than the regional average.

Safety and security fall below the regional average, signaling a need for support on these enabling factors for tourism development.

Though the current level of tourism development aligns with the regional average, the potential for further development exceeds the regional average, signaling this park as an opportune site for investment.

Responses collected via Qualtrics surveys, from October 2023 - March 2024

Stakeholders with firsthand knowledge of the park were asked to rank different aspects of tourism in and around the landscape.

Ranking is based on a 1-10 scale:

‘1’ represents relative weakness in the field and ‘10’ represents strength in the field.

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC Destination Scorecard:

*For additional information on security, see site analysis below.

Kahuzi-Biega National Park Tourism Assessment Survey Results

Ground Accessibility

Domestic Air Accessibility

*Security

(ex. violence, human threats, etc.)

Safety

(ex. illness & health, animal attacks, etc.)

Skills & Capacities of the Domestic Workforce

Average Traveler Experience (with prior visits to Central Africa)

Average Traveler Experience (with no prior visits to Central Africa)

Current Level of Tourism Development

Potential for Tourism Development

Site Analysis:

Overview

Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) is located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in the border region with Rwanda. The park lies roughly 20 kms west of Lake Kivu and covers 600,000 Hectares [1]. Unlike some other parks, KBNP lacks a designated buffer zone. The park is one of five protected areas that make up the much larger Maiko-Tayna-Kahuzi Biega Landscape, a prioritized site for global conservation efforts [2].

The landscape features dense lowland rainforests, interspersed with montane forests, bamboo forests, and sub-alpine prairies. Roughly 10% of the park encompasses mountains in the Mitumba Mountain Range, part of the broader Albertine Rift landscape [3]. Named after the prominent dormant volcanoes Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega, reaching 3,308 meters and 2,790 meters high respectively [4], the park showcases a notable altitude range. This unique feature makes KBNP one of the few sub-Saharan African sites where the transition from lowland to highland vegetation is observable.

The "stars" of Kahuzi-Biega National Park are the roughly 1,200 Eastern Lowland Gorillas [5] (also known as Grauer's Gorilla) in the park, the largest number in the world [6]. The Park and surrounding landscape support an estimated 84-91% of the global population of this ape subspecies. Alongside gorillas, the park is also home to 13 other primates and other emblematic Central African wildlife such as forest elephants, buffalo, and bongo. Recognized as one of the most biologically significant areas within the Albertine Rift, KBNP harbors the highest diversity of mammal species in the region [4]. Furthermore, it lies within a crucial endemism zone for birds, with nearly 350 species recorded, 42 of them endemic.

Eastern DRC is less secure than other parts of the country, with the U.S. Department of State categorizing the immediate area around the park as ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’ [7].’ This is due to violent crime and the presence of armed groups in the landscape. Civilians have been targeted in attacks. The areas of the park which are used for tourism are considered by stakeholders working in the landscape to be safer, but other areas of the park have armed groups from time to time. One stakeholder explained that “there have been no incidents with tourists in and around Tshivanga and gorilla viewing sites, but nearby there are regular incidents involving local people.” The general instability of the area and complexity to access the site for gorilla trekking relative to similar mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Uganda and Rwanda (although these cost more) mean that only the most intrepid travelers are likely to seek out travel to the park in the short-term.

[1]https://www.protectedplanet.net/4328 [2]https://2017-2020.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/CAFEC_Maiko-Tayna_Fahuzi-Biega_Fact_Sheet.pdf [3]https://www.naturalworldheritagesites.org/sites/kahuzi-biega-national-park/ [4]https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/ [5] Estimates of Ape Abundance in Kahuzi-Biega and Oku Community Reserve - Kirkby, A.; Plumptre, A.J.; Spira, C.; Mitamba, G.;

Kivono, J.; Ngoy, E.; Nishuli, R; Maisels, F.; Buckland, S.; Kujirakwinja, D. (wcs.org) [6] https://www.wcs.org/our-work/regions/central-africa-gulf-of-guinea/kahuzi-biega [7]https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-travel-advisory.html https://www.protectedplanet.net/4328 https://2017-2020.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/CAFEC_Maiko-Tayna_Fahuzi-Biega_Fact_Sheet.pdf https://www.naturalworldheritagesites.org/sites/kahuzi-biega-national-park/ https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/137/ https://library.wcs.org/doi/ctl/view/mid/33065/pubid/DMX3855100000.aspx https://library.wcs.org/doi/ctl/view/mid/33065/pubid/DMX3855100000.aspx https://www.wcs.org/our-work/regions/central-africa-gulf-of-guinea/kahuzi-biega https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-travel-advisory.html

In April 2022, The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and DRC’s national Protected Area Agency (ICCN) signed a public-private-partnership for the management of KBNP [8]. This new agreement prioritizes the rights of the nearly 6,000 Batwa Indigenous peoples living around the park, as well as members of the other adjacent local communities. The WCS Vision for the Kahuzi-Biega National Park is to turn “a history of injustices against Indigenous Peoples into a model for effective rights-based conservation” [9], with a new management paradigm to begin addressing the long history of injustices, insecurity, and violence faced by the Batwa in the region. Central to this vision is WCS's commitment to tourism development guided by community-based and rights-based principles, focusing on equitable benefit-sharing and sustainable tourism practices.

Within the park, the tourism sector would be considered relatively ‘mature’ compared to other parks of Central Africa, although current tourism levels today are a fraction of what they have been historically. Anecdotally, KBNP receives approximately 2,000 visitors a year, but in the 1990s received tens of thousands of visitors.

Currently there is no dedicated tourism marketing by WCS, but various websites operated by different entities promote the park as a tourism destination including www.kahuzibieganationalparkcongo.org, www.kahuzibieganationalpark.com, and https://www.kahuzi-biega.org/. On these sites, potential visitors have access to a breadth of information including tour operators and contact information, information on access, activities and accommodation, gorilla trekking etc. The history of tourism in the area, established operators, transparent activity rates, and clear itineraries, act as a strong foundation to re-invigorate tourism in the park.

A detailed tourism assessment and strategy for the park is needed, specifically to determine which operators are still active, what each one is doing, where they need additional support, and where partnerships and additional funding could be facilitated. The study should also look at the security forces and systems that would ensure safe visitation to the region, training and product development needed to engage communities, define the competitive advantage of tourism at the site (why a visitor would come versus other options), as well as the communications campaign needed to attract visitors.

Nature-Based Tourism Development Opportunities

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC https://www.kahuzibieganationalparkcongo.org/ https://www.kahuzibieganationalpark.com/ https://www.kahuzi-biega.org/

Described as "the wild frontier of gorilla tourism [10]," Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) is well positioned to further develop to capitalize on these assets. There are currently three habituated gorilla groups, and it is widely acknowledged among stakeholders that gorilla tourism holds the greatest potential for tourism growth in the park. Presently, the gorilla trekking fee in the DRC stands at $400 USD for international visitors, significantly lower than neighboring Uganda and Rwanda, who charge $800 (starting July 2024) and $1500 respectively.

Although it should be recognized that the cost to get to KBNP is more expensive than to Uganda or Rwanda, so this price difference may not be a significant competitive edge.

Beyond gorilla trekking, Kahuzi-Biega National Park offers promising opportunities for other nature-based tourism activities, including birdwatching (with its large number of endemic species), volcano hiking, and wildlife safaris. However, in line with the WCS vision, prioritizing the integration of rights and community-based initiatives with nature tourism should be paramount. Development of each of these tourism experiences should be done with the community as owners and/or having a significant role.

Accommodation options within the park currently fall short, leading many travelers to prefer staying outside in nearby Bukavu. In the short-term this will remain the reality of tourism to the park, as day trips from Bukavu are probably perceived as the safer and easier option given the security issues in and around the park. In the medium and longer-term, if the security of the area improves, there is an opportunity to attract more visitors by offering overnight stays within the park. Whether through upgrading existing campsites or establishing a new on-site lodge.

Nature-Based Tourism Development Opportunities

[8]https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17462/New-Management-Agreement-Signed-for-Kahuzi- Biega-National-Park-in-the-DRC.aspx [9]https://cdn.wcs.org/2022/02/10/7i78anfy3c_Vision_for_Kahuzi_2.10.22_FIN_1_.pdf?_ga=2.223371419.1007892787.1711393871- 798286711.1704147646&_gl=1*750em2*_ga*Nzk4Mjg2NzExLjE3MDQxNDc2NDY.*_ga_BTX9HXMYSX*MTcxMTM5NzM1My40L jAuMTcxMTM5NzM1My42MC4wLjA.

[10]https://www.wsj.com/articles/to-promote-gorilla-tourism-first-you-have-to-convince-the-gorillas-1497885801

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17462/New-Management-Agreement-Signed-for-Kahuzi-Biega-National-Park-in-the-DRC.aspx https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17462/New-Management-Agreement-Signed-for-Kahuzi-Biega-National-Park-in-the-DRC.aspx https://cdn.wcs.org/2022/02/10/7i78anfy3c_Vision_for_Kahuzi_2.10.22_FIN_1_.pdf?_ga=2.223371419.1007892787.1711393871-798286711.1704147646&_gl=1*750em2*_ga*Nzk4Mjg2NzExLjE3MDQxNDc2NDY.*_ga_BTX9HXMYSX*MTcxMTM5NzM1My40LjAuMTcxMTM5NzM1My42MC4wLjA https://cdn.wcs.org/2022/02/10/7i78anfy3c_Vision_for_Kahuzi_2.10.22_FIN_1_.pdf?_ga=2.223371419.1007892787.1711393871-798286711.1704147646&_gl=1*750em2*_ga*Nzk4Mjg2NzExLjE3MDQxNDc2NDY.*_ga_BTX9HXMYSX*MTcxMTM5NzM1My40LjAuMTcxMTM5NzM1My42MC4wLjA https://cdn.wcs.org/2022/02/10/7i78anfy3c_Vision_for_Kahuzi_2.10.22_FIN_1_.pdf?_ga=2.223371419.1007892787.1711393871-798286711.1704147646&_gl=1*750em2*_ga*Nzk4Mjg2NzExLjE3MDQxNDc2NDY.*_ga_BTX9HXMYSX*MTcxMTM5NzM1My40LjAuMTcxMTM5NzM1My42MC4wLjA https://www.wsj.com/articles/to-promote-gorilla-tourism-first-you-have-to-convince-the-gorillas-1497885801

Security is the primary factor influencing tourism in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, given the tumultuous history of insecurity and violence in eastern DRC. This reputation not only dissuades global visitors but also concerns local operators and guides. Numerous sources advise against solo travel in the park, recommending instead that visitors travel with operators who may still cancel trips due to sporadic violence [11]. While tourists are generally not considered at immediate risk according to regional stakeholders, security concerns persist as a significant barrier to travel to KBNP. Recent attacks on tourists in Uganda from armed groups within the DRC have heightened this concern, although there have been no incidents since WCS took over management of the Park and according to available information from stakeholders, there has been no targeting of tourists by rebel groups in the landscape in the past 5-10 years.

To address this challenge, well equipped and trained security forces for the park are essential, both for protection of wildlife as well as visitors and communities. Currently the Park is relatively well-equipped with 300 active ecoguards, prioritizing patrols in the highland sector.

The establishment of transparent communication networks to inform park staff, tourism operators and visitors of potential issues could partially address some visitors' concerns. This would be established alongside a risk management plan for tourism in the park that would define roles and responsibilities, evacuation plans, etc.

Accessibility In addition to security concerns, access emerges as a critical facilitator for tourism in KBNP.

Multiple driving routes (i.e., from Goma to KBNP), though possible, are discouraged due to safety concerns. International travelers often opt to fly into neighboring countries like Rwanda as an entry point into DRC for KBNP visits. Upon reaching Bukavu, visitors have a relatively straightforward 40km journey to the park on well-maintained roads. However, accessing Bukavu necessitates careful planning. Streamlining accessibility to Bukavu and KBNP stands as a pivotal factor for tourism development. Potential opportunities include rehabilitating the Kavumu Airport, located 25km north of Bukavu, and facilitating smoother border crossings for travelers from neighboring countries.

Competition Competition emerges as an additional hurdle for tourism development in KBNP. Despite its lower gorilla trekking fees, many travelers opt for safer and more developed parks in neighboring countries due to KBNP's security concerns and challenging accessibility. To capitalize on this opportunity, comprehensive analysis is required to identify the park's unique selling points for international travelers. These differentiating factors must be amplified and effectively marketed to establish a compelling value proposition in the global market. Pricing and value proposition strategies, encompassing accommodations, activities, and transportation, should be carefully crafted to attract visitors.

Enabling Environment Constraints

[11] https://www.kahuzibieganationalpark.com/park-security.html

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC https://www.kahuzibieganationalpark.com/park-security.html

Establish a risk management plan for tourism in the park alongside a transparent system of communication for the sharing of information, especially the current security situation.

Recommendations & Considerations

**Community tourism product development and skills development could also be initiated to work with the Batwa on the development of community led activities in the park. This would target the existing travel market initially but with the vision for future markets. Actions would include initial conceptualization of tourism experiences and the practical implementations of developing a tourism experience; a training bootcamp to develop the skills of Batwa members to host and engage with visitors; specialty training (guiding, birdwatching, etc.); pricing and costing; network development with lodging and tour operators that will be sales channels;

testing/refinement, soft launch and then follow refinement and improvement. The experiences that are developed may include a similar experience to the Batwa trail that was established in Uganda, birdwatching and forest exploration and cultural experiences (craft, dance, etc.). Guides could also be trained to participate in gorilla trekking activities.

**Develop a detailed tourism assessment and strategy for the park that embraces community engagement and ownership in the tourism activities around the park as well as providing a roadmap for the development of tourism in the landscape. This will include a thorough assessment of the security situation and forces; community engagement, ownership and benefit sharing structures; market demands and dynamics (including engagement with tour operators); investment and product development needs; training and capacity building efforts as well as marketing and communications. Beyond the park the strategy should also look at the flow of international visitors to the park and where actions can be taken to streamline the process to get visitors from their home to the park.

Lower Cost & Short-Term Actions:

**Critical Enabler

Strengthen and support ongoing security efforts and security forces to ensure a safe environment for wildlife, communities and visitors

Continue to engage with donor organizations to support and scale efforts in the park (e.g.

USAID, EU, private philanthropy, etc.).

Establish birdwatching itineraries and activities with a focus on sightings of the endemic species in the park. Develop materials and content that showcases this activity and then work with local tour operators to help them engage with speciality birdwatching operators in source markets.

Recommendations & Considerations

**Implement an influencer and media campaign to attract highly visible individuals to explore the park and tell their audience about the experience.

**Engage with tour operators selling trips to KBNP or interested in doing so to provide them with the resources they need to scale their sales. This will be guided by the tourism strategy, but may include marketing and communication materials and campaigns, addressing specific ‘pain points’ in the transfer process (e.g. border control), improvements to the experience, etc.

This activity may also include strengthening and promoting itineraries with nearby attractions such as lake Kivu and Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda (as many travelers come through that way).

**Critical Enabler

Improve camping facilities and other tourism infrastructure in the park as well as establish the groundwork for a potential lodge investment (identification of potential sites, concession agreements and structures as well as prospectus). If the security situation is stable, initiate direct outreach to potential investors/operators to promote the opportunity.

Higher Cost & Medium-Term Actions:

Salonga National Park, DRC

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