SIERRAOUSLY SURPRISING
After successfully emerging from a challenging period in its history, this fascinating West African country has a host of delightful surprises - stunning yet deserted tropical beaches on turquoise seas; bustling towns full of vibrant colour and vitality; captivating cultural festivals; historical slavery sites and wonderful wildlife including chimpanzees, Pygmy hippos and stunning birds. Make it a voyage of discovery.
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biggest secret is Bureh Town Beach – the waves are gorgeous. For cultural and historic trips, the ruins of Bunce Islands, the Cotton Tree in Freetown city centre and the National Museum are places you should go and research for all information about the Atlantic Slave Trade.
Local dishes and the Star beer (Salone brewed) can be found in almost all the local bars and restaurants. For fine dining, most of the top hotels offer those services. AfO: What are the best ways of getting around the country?
LK: There are several ways to get around the country, but a popular way is by taxis – either you charter for yourself or you join others to get to your destination. The ‘Keke’ is another popular way of going around the cities. Motorbikes, commonly called ‘Okada’, is another quicker way to get to non-motorable destinations around the country.
AfO: What trends are transforming the tourism industry in Sierra Leone at present? How are you responding to these trends?
LK: Social media is one trend that the tourism industry in Sierra Leone is using to promote the beauty of the country.
Sierra Leone is also using more of WhatsApp to pass on information easily. Photos are mostly used to communicate to the locals and in recent years, more people are trooping to popular places along the Lumley Beach end of Freetown, for instance, to have fun or just to relax. All of our programmes and events are sent out on WhatsApp groups, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for quicker responses and feedback.
AfO: How do you see Sierra Leone developing as a business travel hub over the next year to two years?
LK: Sierra Leone is developing very fast and in the coming years more and more infrastructure will be available across the country.
New hotels are coming up, and activities that are more social are popping up as well – very soon the Cultural and Entertainment Commission under the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs will kick start operations. A new cultural village will be opened and, of course, more activities will be available.
AfO: Are there any plans or projects in the pipeline that you wish to highlight?
LK: Under the New Direction and the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, there are plans to have visa on arrival at every border crossing point. Plans are also in place to reduce taxes at Sierra Leone airports so that the cost of air tickets to Sierra Leone are reduced.
AfO: Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Sierra Leone?
LK: Yes, I am very optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Sierra Leone. I can feel it in the atmosphere that this is the time for tourism. Let us give tourism a chance in our country.