Zero francs in revenue for Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), zero francs for South Kivu Province from the tourism sector. The security instability that has affected the region for nearly two years has brought tourism activities in the Park to a halt.
Travel agencies, hoteliers, and tour guides addressed this situation during the media forum organized by the Park on September 24, 2026, in Bukavu, to mark World Gorilla Day. These stakeholders described the impact of the lack of visitors on their businesses and incomes.
For hoteliers and tour operators, losses have been mounting over the months. The lack of visitors has reduced hotel occupancy and is affecting jobs and tourism-related income in the province, they reported.
KBNP, known in particular for its Grauer’s gorillas, is also facing the consequences of this situation on its conservation efforts. Insecurity limits fieldwork and complicates the monitoring of biodiversity and the habitat of great apes.
In light of this situation, tourism operators have called for a return to peace and the resumption of sustainable tourism in South Kivu. They hope that tourism activities can develop over the long term and will no longer be regularly interrupted by conflict.
For them, as for the Park, security remains an essential condition for reviving tourism, supporting jobs, and strengthening conservation efforts.