Sierra Leone Tourism Minister takes another robust Tourism promotion and Investment approach to a new niche Canada. The Minister of Tourism and Culture Dr. Memunatu Pratt and her team her presently in Ottawa Canada. One may curious to ask why Canada? Canada is also another key tourist generating regions with a we managed tourism receipt and potentials that should be harnessed with a thorough partnership and cooperative approach.
The Delegation arrived safe and ready to fully engaged those who matters in society to press the right bottons to push the tourism machine for Sierra Leone.
Day one of the planned trip started with an established meetings and healthy discussions with major institutions that are key players in the Canada Tourism industry. One of these institutions was Parks Canada: Parks Canada is an institution that is specialty is park Management and mitigation. Canada has 46 natural parks that attracts over a billion tourists year from over the world.
The meeting with Parks Canada started with a general overview from The Minister of Tourism and Culture, who made a ground breaking presentation together with her team. During her presentation she made Parks Canada to understand that indeed we are here to learn, partner and have healthy cooperation in any form that will position Sierra Leone in a better footing in Tourism. She was assured to say that Sierra Leone is a safe Haven that is awaiting the right investments and healthy win- win partnerships especially for the tourism sector and even others in the country.
Parks Canada on the other hand, made a general expository of their successes and operations over the years, and reasons why they are called Parks Canada, as their contribution to national revenue generation is huge and they oversee 46 national parks that has huge returns on guest capacity and tourists receipt. These presentations was done by almost three experts in their filed of operations.
Just after the presentationns, the AG. General Manager-National Tourist Board Madam Fatmata Abe- Osagie in her statement focussed on the strategic approach in managing these parks and revenue generation and how these revenues are shared with the institutions and government related agencies. While Dr. Walton E. Gilpin closely watch the power of the SME’S in tourism promotion and development in Sierra Leone.
The minister also presented a case that indeed Sierra Leone needs heathier partnerships and support in training, investment and any other means that aid the sector to position well.
The head of the Parks Canada team assured the team that their doors are opened anytime to see from which angle they could if only the Global Economic Institute could make platform for Continuing collaboration as directed to Mr. Fergusson of GEI and Sherry.
This meeting ended with a general tour of the Ottawa Canal built in 1836 and spot view on the Bytowm museum and water ways.
The next meeting took us to the Algonquin tourism and Hospitality University, to understand the dynamics of Tourism training and modern equipment and tourism curriculum planning. This school has all it’s takes as a Tourism and hospitality school: a modern Amadeus Ticketing class room with update computers and a real booking system, a modern restaurant and culinary kitchen with recent equipment for students to have first hand service training and delivery. This was view by the team to see how it could be replicated to Sierra Leone.
These meetings were indeed essential for the delegation to understand best industry practices and first hand experience on the trend of tourism and related issues.
More days to go and more to see, learn and share as we set for today.
Submitted,
Kai B. Saquee
