Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda

Rwanda: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 168,500 trips in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
168,500 trips
Change on year
down 44.1%
World rank
131st
of 179 countries
All-time high
1.30 million trips
in 2018
All-time low
168,500 trips
in 2021
Years of data
16
2006–2021

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda, 2006–2021

250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M2006201320212006: 276.0k trips2007: 334.0k trips2008: 326.4k trips2009: 330.0k trips2010: 359.0k trips2011: 513.0k trips2012: 646.7k trips2013: 703.0k trips2014: 824.2k trips2015: 888.7k trips2016: 1.1M trips2017: 1.1M trips2018: 1.3M trips2019: 1.2M trips2020: 301.6k trips2021: 168.5k trips

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.

Analysis

In 2021, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda stood at 168,500 trips. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

That represents a change of down 44.1% on the previous year and down 67.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda peaked at 1.30 million trips in 2018 and was at its lowest, 168,500 trips, in 2021.

That places Rwanda 131st out of 179 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 316,600 trips 276,000 trips 334,000 trips 4
2010s 859,360 trips 359,000 trips 1.30 million trips 10
2020s 235,050 trips 168,500 trips 301,600 trips 2

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 128 Botswana 203,100 trips compare
  2. 129 Myanmar 189,100 trips compare
  3. 130 Benin 171,300 trips compare
  4. 132 Gambia 164,200 trips compare
  5. 133 Mali 159,300 trips compare
  6. 134 Bangladesh 145,000 trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Rwanda was 168,500 trips in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 1.30 million trips in 2018.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was 168,500 trips in 2021.
How does Rwanda rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
Rwanda ranks 131st out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is down 67.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Rwanda data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.