Burundian officials on Tuesday formally launched a five‑year Tourism Marketing Plan designed to boost international arrivals, strengthen tourism products and raise the East African nation’s profile as a safe and welcoming destination.
The plan, covering 2025‑2029, was unveiled by Christine Niragira, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Mining Resources, Energy, Industry, Trade and Tourism.
“Our objectives are clear: to increase the number of tourist arrivals each year, to improve and promote our tourist products, and to enhance Burundi’s brand image as a safe, welcoming destination,” Niragira said at the launch event attended by government representatives and private‑sector stakeholders.
Consultant Édouard Bagumako, who contributed to drafting the strategy, highlighted the need for stronger public‑private cooperation, improved access roads to key attractions and upgraded hospitality infrastructure.
“Visitors must feel comfortable when they come here,” Bagumako said, underscoring plans to rehabilitate and modernize hotels with better Wi‑Fi, cleanliness and comfort, and to expand digital marketing through a dedicated tourism website and social media engagement.
Hotel and industry representatives urged the government to increase funding to facilitate foreign‑visitor reception, to upgrade Melchior Ndadaye International Airport to international standards and to provide language training for tourism staff, as well as better coordination of site‑level activities.
Burundi’s tourism sector faces significant obstacles amid broader economic strains. Previous reporting by Burundi Times on business conditions has underscored calls from the private sector for stronger political will to support economic activities that include travel and hospitality, indicating that weak investment and constrained resources remain concerns for service industries such as tourism.
Representatives have urged partner states and the government to eliminate barriers to growth and foster a more enabling environment for cross‑border trade and services that can indirectly benefit tourism.
Analysts say that underdeveloped infrastructure, limited global visibility and funding shortages have historically held back the tourism industry’s full potential, with only a portion of the country’s natural and cultural sites fully operational and marketed to international visitors.
Burundi Times coverage of business and economic sectors reflects ongoing efforts by local enterprises to navigate these challenges while advocating for supportive policies to stimulate growth.
