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.”