By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their strides to identify product development, marketing and promotion as key for development and promotion of the Tourism sector in the country, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and the National Tourist Board in collaboration with the World Bank Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP) has on Sunday 27th June, 2021 pre-launched the Domestic Tourism Awareness and Education Campaign at the Bintumani Conference Centre, Aberdeen in Freetown.
The General Manager of the National Tourist Board, Fatmata Kroma said COVID-19 has negatively impacted international travel and tourism, and it is now a call for countries to develop and promote domestic tourism.
She said domestic tourism remains the leading form of tourism, representing an important tool for regional economic growth and development adding that research suggests that domestic tourism demand picks up at an income level of about US$35,000, while international travel takes off at around US$50,000.
Fatmata Kroma pointed out that the Ministry and its Agencies in the past few years have been engaged in tourism awareness, educative activities through an inclusive approach that will enhance community awareness about tourism and its socio-economic benefits.
She added that Government has been very supportive in providing the necessary budgetary support, exhibiting the political will at the highest level; reducing barriers to doing business, assisting existing tourism providers with market access, improving the quality of selected tourism products, implementation of the visa on arrival policy, removal of GST and other tax reduction on air tickets, enhancing tourism education and the development of policies on a sustainable and inclusive growth trajectory.
The NTB Boss further intimated that the launching will increase the awareness of the rich and diverse tourism products of Sierra Leone, showcases its beauty and stability, thereby promoting the country’s image among its people.
The Chairman of the National Tourist Board, Tamba Allieu Kokobaye in his remarks said the launching is important as they embark on the promotion and marketing of Sierra Leone’s Tourism product to Sierra Leoneans.
“For us to market the country as a destination for inbound tourism we must have a first-hand knowledge and experience of what we have to offer to our international tourists, hence the need for a mass domestic tourism campaign,” he maintained.
Formally Pre-Launching the Domestic Tourism Awareness and Education Campaign, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt paid homage to President Julius Maada Bio for making tourism one of the growth sectors and also a big factor in his governance. She maintained that tourism is one of the fastest growth sectors in Sierra Leone and countries globally are beginning to take tourism seriously.
She continued that before now tourism was only about the beaches with specific reference to Lumley beach, but today, tourism is now a whole context of national development. The Minister furthered that the Ministry is working in all sectors and undertaking giant programmes; women in coastal communities have been trained across the country to move away from dependency, sites are being opened and developed all geared towards developing the local economy and strengthening domestic tourism.
The Tourism Minister also disclosed that the launching is part of the support that the Government of Sierra (GoSL) Leone has received from the World Bank revealing how the GoSL received a 40 million dollars grant of which 70% is going towards the tourism sector, hence there is need to be thankful to the World Bank.
She stated that consultants have been hired to develop the National Marketing Strategy and six sites will be developed with the grant stating that many other attractions are on the cards for improvement with support from the UNDP’s Climate Change Project as well as the revived of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) project.
Minister Pratt acknowledged that domestic tourism has been happening but it was not packaged as a domestic programme under tourism, hence the formal launching of the tourism domestic education using various communication channels in promoting tourism.
The Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Hon. Emmanuel Saidu Conteh, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and the Western Area Regional Minister, Nabeela Tunis all expressed delight about the promotion of domestic tourism and pledged their unwavering support and collaboration to the tourism sector.
The event was climaxed by cultural performances and a runway show on Sierra Leone Fabric and Design.
