As the main portal to the country, the new Airport is part of the grand plan by His Excellency President Bio to increase Foreign Direct Investment in Sierra Leone and break the cycle of underdevelopment. It is no secret that his Excellency and our First Lady single handedly rebranded the image of our beloved Sierra Leone internationally.
The Honourable Minister for Tourism Dr. Memunatu Pratt and our Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation have worked tirelessly making the necessary international connections in anticipation of the new airport.
Some believe the airport is a renovation of the old one, this is because they do not believe it is possible to design and build this architectural masterpiece in 16 months. Convincing these detractors that it is actually a new airport is an exercise in folly. In the words of the great Winston Churchill “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” So if you still believe the world is flat, it does not negate the objective truth that the world is round.
The Airport has four terminals and an additional Presidential terminal that’s a joy to behold. The airport is so beautiful; it has every right to be listed as one of the tourist attractions in Sierra Leone.
Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives. Prior to COVID, in 2019 Maldives had more than 1.7 million visitors with an average spend of $1,900. This is awesome considering the population the Maldives is under 600 thousand.
Sierra Leone has some of the best beaches, with Lungi being a prime example. Port Loko is strategically placed to be one of the best tourist destinations in the world. With proper town planning in Port Loko, Freetown will play 2nd fiddle to Port Loko in 15 years as a commercial hub.
Development of resorts and associated services has started in Sierra Leone. Fortunately investors are more flexible and are ready to work with a 10 to 25yr lease for land. So people in Port Loko and other areas of interest do not have the fear of losing their lands forever.
There is also a rush for package holiday companies to establish in Sierra Leone. This company offers a range of benefits to holidaymakers, including legal and financial protection under the Package Travel, and great value for money. With the number of resorts on the increase, this industry will increase our GDP.
The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (MTCA) organized a week long training of trainers workshop for public and private sector workers in the tourism industry. This was concluded on the 28th January, 2023 and the implementing agency was the National Tourist Board (NTB) facilitated by two Canadian Tourism Experts from the Ted Rogers School of Tourism Management. This initiative is getting Sierra Leone ready for the anticipated increase in both local and international tourists.
Gambia benefitted much from package holidays and chartered flights. It’s also worthy of note that prostitution is legal in The Gambia. Las Vegas is a desert strip but their marketing was phenomenal, Las Vegas is recognised internationally as one of the best tourist destinations.
Modern day example of the commercialization of the tourism industry, is the all mighty Dubai. It will be an effort in futility to match the infrastructural development of the UAE, but Sierra Leone can easily surpass most countries in the world in the area of eco-tourism.
Making our touristic areas malaria free is quite easy, fortunately we have no organizations yet clamouring for the protection of mosquitoes. Not forgetting how redenomination has psychologically made our currency more valuable. A hundred dollar does not make you a millionaire in Sierra Leone any more.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) gave Sierra Leone a clean bill and yes we qualified for the grant. This goes way beyond MCC, internationally; Mama Salone is a force to be reckoned with. It is a fact, we have a few detractors peddling lies under the guise of “politics”, but this Government will continue along the path of development. “The frown on the face of a goat would not stop it from being taken to the market.”- African proverb. Sierra Leone is destined for greatness, and that’s the path we must follow.
America was able to promote their tourism industry through their very vibrant movie industry. There is a direct correlation between the movie industry and tourism. A 2021 UNESCO report surmised that the African movie industry has the potential to generate $20 Billion annually. Hence we have the Human Capital Development in the film Industry Initiative.
It will concentrate on domesticated training in every aspect of the film industry with emphasis on commercialization. The maiden production “Fatima my Bride” was filmed in York village, the first outdoor screening of the movie was also in York. York is being touted as a picturesque tourist destination with Modern history. The initiative has several productions planed, with Tacugama the chimpanzee sanctuary as one of the areas planed for production to take place. One thing is certain; this initiative will ameliorate the challenge of Youth unemployment in Sierra Leone.
The new Freetown International Airport is a testament to what Sierra Leone can achieve with a visionary leader and also a precursor of greater development to come. This write up concentrates on the tourism sector, there are other areas directly linked to development because of the airport (international teaching hospitals, Universities, economic zones, industrial farming etc ) but these aspects will be covered by experts.
Fortunately the EU has reiterated its support for the development of Sierra Leone and the accusation of the EU being an extension of the opposition party in Sierra Leone is unfounded.
Sierra Leone is fortunate to have one of the best leaders in its history, we expect President Bio to break the cycle of underdevelopment and usher in an era of prosperity for this great republic.
