At its press conference at ITB Berlin 2019 the West African country was in a confident and buoyant mood. Following political unrest and a serious Ebola epidemic in the period up to 2016, tourism has now become an increasingly important economic factor. Tourism Minister Dr. Memunatu Pratt invited travellers as well as investors to visit his country and participate in the emerging tourism sector. The country intends to focus on the wildlife and eco-tourism market. “In Sierra Leone, as well as elephants and the pygmy hippopotamus, visitors can find innumerable bird and ape species“, said Memunatu Pratt. In addition to wildlife and eco-tourists, beach holidaymakers and water sports enthusiasts will get their money’s worth too“, added Memunatu Pratt. “There is a reason why Sierra Leone is known as ’Hawaii in Africa’.

Ambassador M`Baimba Lamin Baryoh added that the West African country can be considered politically stable now, and safe. “Sierra Leone is de facto the third-safest country in Africa, and the capital Freetown is the safest in West Africa“, he said. “And safer than Berlin”, he added with a smile. The fight against corruption was so successful that investors were finding Sierra Leone an attractive proposition too.

M`Baimba Lamin Baryoh also stressed that Sierra Leone’s new government under President Julius Maada Bio – who has been in office for ten months – wanted to make sure that flights to the West African country would become cheaper in future.

Antje Hennecke-Lückingsmeier

Internet: sierraleonenationaltouristboard.com

Hall 21.a, Stand 117

Press contact: Jens Frenzel, KPRN Network GmbH

Email: frenzel.jens@kprn.de

Tel.: +49 (0) 30 – 240 477 1815

photo credit: Sierra Leone National Touristboard