Tourist use of Rwanda national parks in the context of sustainable development. Selected aspects

Tourism is recognized as a priority sector for economic development in Rwanda. National parks are the main value of tourism development. The conditions of nature-based tourism were identified, and the development of tourism was presented, using statistical data on tourist arrivals, visits to national parks, and the development of tourist facilities. During the analysed period, there is an increase in the number of tourists visiting Rwanda’s national parks. The most popular are Volcanoes NP and Akagera NP. This is largely due to these parks’ better transport accessibility compared to Nyungwe NP and Gishwati Mukura NP. The development of tourism in national parks has a positive impact on all aspects of sustainable development, i.e., it is an impulse to improve the living conditions of local communities, the progress of the economy of regions and the state, and to strengthen of the idea of environmental protection in Rwanda.