Tourism in Burundi refers to

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

in Burundi. Bujumbura, the largest city and former capital of Burundi, is a major tourist attraction of the country. In addition to this, Lake Tanganyika is a popular tourist attraction.

Industry

Burundi has vast natural resources and wildlife, but the tourism industry of Burundi is underdeveloped. Tourism has a marginal share in GDP of the nation. Direct contributions of travel and tourism industry to the country's GDP was 2.1% in 2013 and 2% in 2014. According to

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

data, the number of international tourists increased in the 2000s. In 2000, nearly 29,000 international tourists visited Burundi, the number increased to 148,000 in 2005. Number of tourists peaked at 214,000 in 2006; by 2010, only 142,000 tourists had visited the country. While the tourism sector is small but growing, ongoing

unrest Unrest, also called disaffection, is a sociological phenomenon, including: * Civil unrest * Civil disorder * Domestic terrorism * Industrial unrest * Labor unrest * Rebellion * Riot * Strike action * State of emergency Notable historical in ...

has decimated tourism in the country. Tourism infrastructure is very poor in Burundi. The options for transport and accommodation for tourists are limited. In 2010, the Burundian government planned a 20-year infrastructure development plan in partnership with the

African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies ...

to improve tourism infrastructure in the country. The funding also came from other donor nations and organizations.

Advisories

Yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

vaccination is necessary before visiting Burundi.

Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

in Burundi, while vaccination for cholera may also be required when visiting Burundi.

Attractions

Ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

is one of the major areas of tourism in Burundi. Kibira National Park,

Rurubu River The Ruvubu River (also spelt Rurubu and Ruvuvu) is a river in central Africa whose waters gather from the most distant, southern portion of the Nile basin. With a total length of and has a drainage basin of . It rises in the north of Burundi, ...

and Lake Tanganyika are considered major natural habitats for wildlife. There are also numerous wildfowl lakes, such as Rwihinda Lake Natural Reserve. Burundian drummers, locally known as ''Abatimbo'', are one of the major cultural attractions. Wooden drums are part of ancient Burundi culture. Their sound is known as "ancient" and "sacred" sound in Burundi and also a symbol of unity. In 2014, the ritual Burundian drum dance was placed on

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In 2017, President

Pierre Nkurunziza Pierre Nkurunziza (18 December 19648 June 2020) was a Burundian politician who served as the ninth president of Burundi for almost 15 years from August 2005 until his death in June 2020. A member of the Hutu ethnic group, Nkurunziza taught ph ...

limited drumming rituals to official events and banned women from drumming. There is no UNESCO-recognized

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in Burundi but there are 10 sites which are on UNESCO's tentative list. These 10 sites includes

Gishora The field of Gishora is located approximately 7 km north of the city of Gitega, in the Gitega Province of Burundi. It houses a royal palace and royal field. Site Description Gishora is on the top of the Gishora Hill in the commune of Gih ...

, Mugamba,

Muramvya Muramvya is a city located in central Burundi. It is the capital city of Muramvya Province Muramvya Province is one of the 18 provinces of Burundi. The capital city is Muramvya. In 2007 the province was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tent ...

, Gasumo (the southernmost source of the Nile), Lake Rwihinda Natural Reserve, Lake Tanganyika, Rusizi National Park, Kibira National Park,

Ruvubu National Park Ruvubu National Park is a national park in Burundi covering that was established in 1980. Its borders fall within the provinces of Karuzi, Muyinga, Cankuzo and Ruyigi. The park touches neighboring Tanzania to the south, the valley of the Ruvubu ...

and the

Kagera waterfalls The Chutes de la Kagera (Kagera Falls or Chutes de la Karera) are a spectacular series of waterfalls in southeastern Burundi. They are located to the south of Rutana. The falls occupy over 142 hectares, being made up of six branches divided on t ...

Gallery

File:STS51G-034-0012 Lake Tanganyika June1985.jpg, Lake Tanganyika from space in June 1985 File:Gitega Church.JPG, Gitega Church File:Rusizi NP hippopotamus.jpg, Hippopotamuses in Rusizi Nature Reserve File:Beach in Bujumbura.jpg, A beach in Bujumbura on the north side of Lake Tanganyika File:Hippos in Burundi.png, Wild hippopotamuses at Kibira National Park

References

External links