Local conservationationists are concerned that limited economic opportunities due to the coronavirus pandemic could wipe gains made in promoting tourism.

The country’s tourism sector has been hard hit by the pandemic due to restrictions on movement.

While definite numbers are yet to be released, tour operators say tourist numbers have remained low despite domestic tourism activities resuming With limited sources of income, local conservationists are concerned that this could lead to an increase in poaching.

For instance, Agnes Uwamahoro, a mother of five, has been a member of COPAVU Mararo co-operative for the past 15 years. She is the president and has grown her family on the income generated from making and selling wooden arts at Volcanoes National Park.

Before the pandemic struck, the cooperative would make Rwf400,000 per month as profit. Their income would reach Rwf1 million during Kwita Izina, the gorilla naming ceremony, in three days.

Today, their shop can spend a month with zero sales. “The income helped me pay school fees and run other small projects to feed my family. We were progressing well because the number of tourists was increasing every year. But the pandemic has stopped all that. Our shop is basically vacant,” Ms Uwamahoro narrates.

Her story is shared by many other members of communities around the park who used to benefit from touristic activities at national parks. Some were employed as porters, others worked in hotels and restaurants or sold art crafts to the tourists. Most of them are now laid off.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, national parks visits dropped from 110,000 visits in 2019 to 36,000 visits in 2020. Generated revenues dropped from $29 million in 2019 to $7 million in 2020, according to the Rwanda Development Board Annual Report 2020.

With the current reality, there is a reasonable worry that poaching and hunting in the parks might become an alternative.

“It is a reasonable concern although we have no such cases so far. We continue to work together with the community and use what we have to create an impact but businesses have been hit and some workers like porters are basically jobless,” said Kwizera.

Uwamahoro, who is also tasked with spearheading anti-poaching, says unemployment could wipe gains made.