Tributes are pouring in for Dr Carmen Nibigira , a champion of East African tourism and hospitality, who passed away this week at the age of 46. The Burundi-born, tireless advocate for tourism achieved so many significant milestones throughout her career.
She lived and worked in the US, Switzerland, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and other countries, which informed her knowledge of the industry and the region. In 2014, she returned to Burundi to take up the role of Director General of the National Tourism Board as she saw this as an opportunity to reform the tourism sector in her country. Nibigira served as Regional Coordinator for the East Africa Tourism Platform between 2015 and 2017 where she was a strong advocate for regional integration and for East Africa to be unified as a single destination.
Her efforts in tourism were recognised in 2017 when she was named one of the Top 100 Influential Women in Travel and, a year later, received the African Women in Tourism Leadership Award. At the time of her passing, the mother of two was leading Tourism and Hospitality Management for the Mastercard Foundations Rwanda Programs team where she focused on skills development and capacity building, especially for young professionals in tourism.
Beyond her professional achievements, Nibigira passionately advocated for female empowerment. As a board member of the Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda, she supported initiatives that equipped young women in tourism with management and entrepreneurial skills.
During her PhD studies at Clemson University, Nibigira specialised in researching the political economy of tourism and the socio-political dynamics of emerging tourist destinations. Her legacy as a pioneering force in intra-regional tourism, a dedicated mentor and an inspiration to many will live on.
