Several international operators who had booked gorilla trekking permits and accommodation in Rwanda are facing significant financial losses following the sudden closure of destination management company (DMC) World Living Fantasies (WOLF).
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced in March that WOLF’s tourism operating licence had been revoked due to a “breach of licensing terms and conditions”.
The notice stated: “Members of the public, including tour operators, travel agents, hospitality establishments and individual clients, are strongly advised to cease all business engagements with the abovementioned company pertaining to tourism services.”
On April 14, the RDB subsequently notified creditors of the initiation of insolvency proceedings for WOLF with advice to “collect and preserve all documents supporting their claims”.
Operators seek clarity
Because gorilla trekking permits can only be booked through RDB-approved operators, the company’s closure has left some international operators unsure how to proceed. Affected operators, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing claims, say they have been left with no clear route to recover their funds.
“With the permits plus accommodation deposits, our exposure amounts to around US$15 000 and we had to repurchase the permits at our own cost,” one operator said.
Tourism Update made several attempts to obtain comment from WOLF and its MD, Trees Piersma, but received no response. Some operators said the company has ceased communications.
Requests for assistance
One operator told Tourism Update they notified the RDB of concerns about WOLF’s operations prior to the licence revocation. They said the operating licence was only revoked after several notifications to the RDB raising concerns that WOLF was unresponsive to communications and appeared to be no longer operational.
Some operators have since requested assistance from the RDB in the form of reduced-rate permits to help offset their losses but say this has been unsuccessful so far.
In an emailed response to queries from Tourism Update, a representative from the office of Chief Tourism Officer Irene Murerwa claimed that “no park permits for the affected clients were ever purchased” by WOLF DMC from the RDB.
“There are, accordingly, no funds for the RDB to refund. This remains a commercial matter between WOLF DMC and its clients.”
At the time of publication, the RDB had not responded to further questions about whether any formal dispute resolution avenues were available for affected parties.
An industry source with experience in Rwanda’s inbound tourism sector said the issue could impact international confidence in the destination. They said, without support from the destination’s authorities, some agents could be reluctant to rebook in the future, adding that it is important that partnerships are valued and protected.
