ABSTRACT

Abstract

This study was about designing and branding highway road side refreshment centres in Rwanda. Travelling is an inevitable activity which is full of activities ranging from refreshment and rest. It is a challenge for travelers to continue travelling without having inevitable services being offered to them on the way. Such facilities meant to help travelers involve putting in place an organised position for rest and refreshments. The study assumed that highway refreshment centres would offer a lot of opportunities to a traveler, support tourism, and help communities around. The methodology used involved coming up with a mood board, ground plan, landscaping, branding through development of signage among others and getting feedback through interviews and questionnaires administered to stake holders of this project. The study used qualitative research method. The sampling technique used was stratified. Within each category structured questionnaires were administered. Since these were self administered, further probing for information relevant to the study was done using in-depth interviews. The respondents involved. It was found out that there are two refreshing centres Nyirangarama’s in Rulindo and at Hadji’s in Nyanza. Even these don’t qualify being called one stop refreshing centres. It was found out further that the communities living around the project are produce artifacts with no sure market. Truck and tour guides concurred that there is need to have centres which cater for medical, rest, food, ATM, service and refueling. The tourists and tour guides emphasised the importance of way finders on a site, the branded site would be fine to define what Rwanda can provide. It was concluded that establishing a refreshment centre would help travelers through bringing services closer. Surrounding communities would be economically helped by getting jobs and being able to sell their products like crafts. Community development was seen as a means to reducing pressure on parks and promotes a more positive attitude towards having parks conserved plus other tourism sites. The study further found that there was need to cater for the environment through tree planting and waste management. Drivers too noted a need to rest and to service their vehicles. The study recommended the idea of one stop refreshment centres to be implemented all over Rwanda highways. Such installations would promote a positive mind-set about visiting parks and other tourism sites which would in the long run build tourism. The study further envisions that tourism would sustain biodiversity conservation because people travel on roads to get to and from Rwanda's National parks, museums, visiting heritage sites, holding picnics in sites away from home and doing business.

Keywords: Branding; Highway stop center; Landscaping; Tourism; Biodiversity.