CategoriesArticles News By xoppersk

SIERRA LEONE NATIONAL TOURISM BOARD APPOINTS LOTUS TO MANAGE EUROPEAN MARKET REPRESENTATION WITH PR AND COMMUNICATIONS

London, October 2022: The Sierra Leone National Tourism Board (NTB) has appointed award-winning specialist travel PR and marketing agency LOTUS to manage all PR and representation activity in Europe.

Located on Africa’s west coast, Sierra Leone is one of the continent’s lesser-travelled destination. Home to diverse wildlife, national parks, and pristine white sand beaches, this country’s unspoilt nature and an incredible history make it one of the most exciting emerging destinations in Africa.

Targeting the European travel industries, LOTUS will also be working alongside consumer and B2B media. LOTUS aims to drive awareness of Sierra Leone while building strong and valuable travel links to the region, whilst also stimulating consumer interest through a proactive PR campaign targeting adventure, nature, and culture enthusiasts. Sustainability will also be an instrumental part of all activity, and LOTUS aims to amplify the country’s eco-tourism credentials, and the many green initiatives that are in place to preserve and protect the environment.

The appointment is in line with new developments to the country’s infrastructure which includes plans for a new international airport which hopes to encourage further accessibility to the country.

The account will be run by Kate McWilliams (MD) and Emily Olsen (Senior Account Director), supported by the LOTUS teams in London and partner agencies in Germany and Spain for a full-service representation that covers these key markets.

Fatmata Mida Hamid Carew, Director, General Manager of Sierra Leone NTB, said: “We are thrilled to be working with LOTUS during a period of such great importance for Sierra Leone. We’re incredibly proud of our country and we’re excited to welcome international visitors to experience our West African nation for themselves. It’s crucial to have an agency on board that is not only aligned with our objectives but has a genuine passion for the destination.”

Emily Olsen, Senior Account Director, commented: “I spent my childhood in Sierra Leone, so it’s a real pinch me moment to have the opportunity to work with the tourism board all these years later. Challenging the perceptions and misconceptions of Sierra Leone will be key to our activity so the consumer focus will shift to an understanding of what makes this country so special.”

Kate McWilliams, MD at LOTUS, added: “We are very proud of our experience working with emerging destinations. We know there is significant consumer demand for adventure travel which is coupled with an appetite for exploration and discovery. We look forward to implementing a strategic campaign to ultimately put Sierra Leone on the map, and to drive bookings and visitation to a country that has so much to offer. We will be working with our partner agencies to deliver these results in Sierra Leone’s most important European source markets.”

CategoriesExplore Heritage News Tourism Tours By xoppersk

Sierra Leone Tourism delegation interface with National Railway Museum in York England

11th Nov.2022 York England Helen Ashby OBE. BA. FMA is one of the longest   staff from York National  Railway Museum England who received the Sierra Leone’s Tourism delegation from York train station.

In her welcome note, she appreciated the team, for endeavouring to honour their invitation to see the monumental Relics of their Railway Museum.

This Iconic  National Railway Museum is a museum in York settlement which forms  segment  of the Science Museum Group.

 

The official visit today, help the delegation to understand essence of  the museum which tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. This historical museum is a domicile for preserving national collection of historically significant, which includes: railway vehicles such as Mallard, Stirling Single, Duchess of Hamilton and a Japanese bullet train.

In addition, the team discovered that the  National Railway Museum anchor a diverse collection of other objects and articles that has elementary pieces of the historical touch of fine arts.

Madam Ashby in the escorted tours made us to understand, that this great museum has won many accolades and  awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001.

Mrs. Annmarie Kamara, the Administrative Manager from Monuments and Relics Commission, comparing the National Railway Museum

Freetown, Sierra Leone

After Sierra Leone’s railways shut down in 1974, the same  collection of engines and other artifacts spent decades hidden away in this old workshop—now a museum. However, we are here to see how these structures been done here could be replicated in the future.

The General Manager National Tourist Board, Mrs. Fatmata Mida  Carew in addition, emphasize the need  for  healthy collaboration with York Museum and Sierra Leone Railway Museum. With this she believes, heritage and culture will have a place value of sustainability.

In conclusion, the Chairman Board, Mr. Tamba Alliue Kokobaye called on Madam Hellen Ashby to foster the collaboration between York Railway Museum and Sierra Leone National Railway Museum, Coordinated and directed by Monuments and Relics Commission.

The visit to York National Railway Museum and York city  itself is an eye opener, to the team; viewing their key Monuments and Relics, gives a clear insight to the team on maintaining heritage and cultural elements.

Kai Bockarie-Saquee

PR006YORK

Communications & P.R.Unit

Explore Freedom

+23278649519

 

CategoriesNews By Sierra Leone National Tourist Board

National Tourist Board General Manager, Mrs. Fatmata Mida Carew advances Sierra Leone as a peaceful tourist destination to WTM visitors Referencing the Global Peace Index (IGP) 2022.

We have done four peaceful elections and we will soon get the 5th in 2023 as a nation, free of wars and social imbalances.

Mrs. Carew in a session without prejudices stated, The 2022 GPI highlights Sierra Leone in the second colour category (light Green), with clearly indicating that Sierra Leone is among the most peaceful countries in the world. Stating that on the 2022 GPI list of 163 countries, Sierra Leone was ranked and placed 50th position with a score of 1.801, indicating clear upward mobility progress of 2-step from the 2021 GPI.

To be precisely only Ghana and the Gambia were ahead of Sierra Leone in West Africa subregion, with Sierra Leone taking 3rd in the West African sub-region. Absolutely, Sierra Leone is among 90 countries that recorded improvements in peacefulness and acceptance from the 2021 to 2022 GPI assessment and scores.

One should note, positions and status is shared with great industrialised and advanced nations like; Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK), as the list goes on.

She reiterates Peace through tourism refers to a number of data analysis which suggests tourism may contribute to cross-cultural understanding, tolerance and even peace between communities, cities, nations arround, and Sierra Leone is now taking the bold steps using Tourism for Peace in major destination campaigns.

Her submission to the tourism representatives for Germany, UK, Canada, America and other international tourism stakeholders clear doubts and ill feelings about Sierra Leone been a destination.

In her conclusion she listed the different tourism projects undertaken so far, in a continous effort to raise the tourism profile and destination image.

She also lamented, that the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs through the leadership of Dr. Memunatu B. Pratt and the Tourism Directorate have done massive Community engagement and youths  empowerment, capacity building and training, as  public/private sector partnerships  key  fundamental factors in advancing a culture of peace through tourism in post-conflict society as Sierra Leone.

Kai Bockarie-Saquee

PR005WTM

National Tourist Board

Communications and Public Relations Unit.