AYV News, January 28, 2025
Sierra Leone’s tourism sector at Fitur, Ifema Madrid in Spain, where an unprecedented 4,206 tourists flocked the country’s “Explore Freedom” stand expressing firm interest to visit Sierra Leone, marking a significant landmark in the nation’s tourism sector.
The delegation from Sierra Leone comprised the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, National Tourist Board (NTB), Monument and Relics Commission (MRC), and Private Sector Players (IPC Travels, Best Travel Solutions and Tassoh Island).
This international marketing endeavor fully supported by the Government of Sierra Leone seeks to complement and sustain the gains made over the years with the Support of the World Bank Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP). This marketing venture is yielding dividend as the narrative have now changed from enquiries about negativity to questions on how to get to Sierra Leone and the investment opportunities in tourism and culture.
The five-day tourism and cultural trade fair exhibition was dominated by business to business meetings, destination marketing and cultural showcase. Director of Culture, Creativity and Innovation engaged with UNESCO representative regarding Gola and Tiwai Island preparedness for enlisting as World Heritage sites. General Manager NTB, Fatmata Mida Carew attended Tourism Brand Africa Brainstorming Session hosted by UN Tourism Regional Director for Africa, Elcia Grandcourt and Director of Tourism Intelligence, Sandra Carvao to discuss strategies for enhancing Africa’s tourism brand. Madam Carew and Marketing Manager, Lucinda Kargbo also held a total of 29 trade meetings with trade partners, journalists and travel writers. Discussions with Ghana and other African countries for opportunities on strategic collaboration were held. The Ministry and its agencies 2025 Year of Ecotourism was talked about as well as strides made in getting the sector to a competitive level.
Showcasing Sierra Leone’s locally produced cultural artifacts and the country’s resilience and path to independence by MRC’s Admin Manager, Ann-Marie Kamara and Senior Assistant Secretary, Fatmata Samura captivated visitors to the stand, while private sector players showcased compelling tour packages that also attracted huge interest to the destination.
Fitur is the benchmark event in the tourism sector and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound international markets. The exhibition featured 9,500 participating companies, 156 countries and 884 main exhibitors including 101 countries with official representation.
