Sierra Leone is set to host a Women in Tourism Regional Congress in Freetown.
Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Nabeela Tunis said Sierra Leone will host the Congress for the first time, adding that the event will take place at the Freetown International Conference Center from 29th to 31st October, 2024.
The Congress will bring together over 600 women from Sierra Leone and across Africa to discuss their roles in advancing tourism in the region. Organised in collaboration with the UN World Tourism Organization, the Congress aims to develop an action plan for submission to the African Union for implementation by member states.
She further mentioned that the Conference will bring women together from across the country and the continent, in collaboration with the United Nations Tourism. Minister Tunis stated that the UN Tourism has the expertise in tourism matters. She disclosed to media practitioners that they had the privilege to engage with the UN Tourism Secretary General earlier in January this year. During the engagement, they shared their plans for the tourism sector in Sierra Leone.
One of the key issues they are interested in is the way the Government is engaging in Tourism, especially the “Tourism for All Campaign” initiative introduced by Minister Nabeela Tunis this year, aimed at raising awareness among ordinary citizens about the value of tourism. She mentioned how people used to compare Sierra Leone to The Republic of Gambia in terms of tourism, noting that it took 30 to 40 years for Gambians to fully understand the value of tourism, unlike Sierra Leone.
Tourism came to the forefront in Sierra Leone in 2018 when the President included it as an economic global sector in the first action development plan. Minister Tunis highlighted that following this, it started attracting interest from financial institutions and other bodies, leading to several engagements, with 25 already held this year. She noted the rapid bounce back of tourism after Covid-19.
Minister Tunis described Sierra Leone as a beautiful country, not just in terms of its people, mbut in every aspect. She mentioned that the conference would host about 600 people, with 500 being women from communities across the provinces. They have taken the Tourism Business nah All Man’s Business campaign to provinces and cities to educate people about tourism.
Minister Tunis emphasized that tourism is a sector where even if someone is not educated, they can thrive if they have cultural talent to make it productive. The focus is on developing the cultural and creative aspects of Sierra Leone, such as Gara dying and crafts, to bring in more revenue. The conference aims to provide a platform for women to showcase their products and learn how to market them digitally.
In conclusion, Minister Tunis mentioned that they are expecting the Women in Tourism Leadership Africa Committee, which Sierra Leone chairs, to discuss the structure and action plan for the next 2 years. This includes taking an agenda item to all member states of the African Union (AU) to implement on behalf of women in tourism sectors. 70 percent of the workforce in the tourism sector are women, and the goal is to empower them to become more productive.
