Burundi seeks a fresh makeover
Print Edition
Burundi: The name does not immediately evoke centuries-old forests sheltering elusive chimpanzees, or sandy beaches lined with palm trees that stretch along one of the largest lakes in the world.
Instead, the small, landlocked nation located in the heart of Africa鈥檚 Great Lakes region has often been synonymous with poverty, ethnic violence and most recently, a political crisis that prompted 400,000 people to flee the country.
So the young team behind the VisitBurundi initiative has a tough job on their hands.
鈥淲e have decided to show the beauty of our country, to show the culture, to finally change the image of our country, different from the one it has abroad,鈥 explained the group鈥檚 general manager Bruce Niyonzima, 27.
鈥淲e want Burundians and foreigners to come and visit our country,鈥 he continued, welcoming visitors to the Living Museum of Bujumbura, an intriguing cross between a craft market and a zoo, where a solitary leopard rubs shoulders with crocodiles and turkeys in Burundi鈥檚 financial capital.
Launched last year, the initiative brings together around a dozen volunteers who organize trips for large groups of visitors, help to spruce up tourist destinations and, above all, broadcast Burundi鈥檚 charms to the world.
Their strategy is simple and can be summed up in three words: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.
鈥淭he communication strategy we use is based on social networks because we have understood that a lot of people鈥 use them, Darlene Nahayo, 28, said.
鈥淥ur target is largely young people,鈥 said the events and public relations manager, who also co-hosts a YouTube channel dedicated to women.
Burundi is classified as the poorest nation in the world in terms of gross domestic product per capita, according to the World Bank.
But here too, as in other countries, young people 鈥 who make up the majority of Burundi鈥檚 population 鈥 are increasingly connected.
And VisitBurundi鈥檚 influencers and YouTubers produce a steady stream of polished posts and videos in English, Kirundi and French.
Sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with VisitBurundi, musician and influencer Alvin Smith posts videos of himself exploring the country鈥檚 heritage sites, such as the sacred Gishora drum sanctuary.
The team is inspired by Dubai, where influencers thronged to beaches and bars even during the pandemic.
Bujumbura is not yet Dubai, but the prospects for tourism 鈥 domestic and international 鈥 are looking up.
In 2015, the country was plunged into crisis after then president Pierre Nkurunziza declared he would run for a third term, triggering deadly violence that cost at least 1,200 lives.
The 2020 election of Nkurunziza鈥檚 designated successor, President Evariste Ndayishimiye, fuelled hopes of political progress. However, a UN Commission of Inquiry warned last year that abuses had worsened.
But the young people behind the tourism initiative remain hopeful.
鈥淣ow we have stability in terms of security and we have a president who encourages young people, who wants us to develop our country,鈥 said Niyonzima, adding that VisitBurundi was in discussions with the authorities to formalize a partnership.
With very few visitors so far, tourist facilities are in short supply, except in Bujumbura, where hotels and beachside restaurants are scattered along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Expanding them is one of VisitBurundi鈥檚 priorities.
On the outskirts of Kibira National Park, a dense forest sheltering 200 to 300 chimpanzees, a small lodge is under construction 鈥 the first to accommodate potential tourists 鈥 with a breathtaking view of the surrounding tea plantations.
Since last December, international visitors can obtain their visa on arrival at the airport 鈥 a vast improvement on a previously laborious process and a key step on the long road ahead for the young people behind VisitBurundi.
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