The 67th Meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa and the 2nd UN Tourism Regional Conference on Brand Africa under the theme: “Promoting Africa to unlock tourism investments and the sector’s growth potential” is underway in the Zambian Tourism capital, Livingstone.
The Sierra Leone delegation at the conference is headed by the dynamic Minister of Tourism and Culture Affairs, Mrs Nabeela Tunis. Other members of the delegation include the General Manager of the National Tourist Board, Ms Fatmata Carew, the Public Relations Anchor at the National Tourist Board and Tourism Specialist of the Sierra Economic Diversification project.
In her opening remarks at the conference, Minister Nabeela Tunis expressed profound gratitude to the organizers of the event for the warmth reception extended to her and members of her delegation and further congratulated the Minister of Tourism of Zambia, Rodney Malindi Sikumba, for providing excellent facilities to host the conference.
Minister Tunis indicated from the outset that the Government of Sierra Leone, since 2018 has made the tourism industry a priority growth sector that has real potential to drive sustainable development.
Minister Tunis continued in her remarks by expressing her deep appreciation for the continent’s renewed focus on enhancing quality education and skills development to propel sustainable tourism growth on the continent. The Minister emphasized that, this approach will certainly insulate the sector from shocks, promote inclusive growth, support sustainable development, peace and cohesion.
On tourism investment, Minister Tunis shared with her colleagues that the Government of Sierra Leone has embarked on rigorous policy reforms to improve the investment climate including but not limited to tax incentives, ease of business registration and infrastructure development among others.
On inclusion and empowerment, Minister Tunis proudly stated without fear of contradiction that, Sierra Leone is known for putting women issues at the front and center of its development processes. The Minister indicated that, in 2024 alone, her Ministry has trained 900 women in handicrafts, tourism entrepreneurship, travel and hospitality among other. Minister Tunis further disclosed that plans are underway to train frontline hospitality personnel later this year, and over half of the beneficiaries of the training will be women.
The Minister added that there are several challenges in the Sierra Leone tourism sector. However, with regional and global cooperation some of these challenges can be surmounted to unleash the true immeasurable potential of tourism.
In concluding, Minister Tunis strongly advised her colleagues that visa waiver is a critical next step that must be taken to encourage tourists in-flow into the continent. This aspect must be addressed in tandem with the challenge of difficulty in air travel between and among African countries. Minister Tunis expressed conviction that with sincere cooperation among countries on the continent, these issues will be swiftly addressed.
