By Saidu Jalloh
In a momentous and significant event for the Tourism industry, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has issued out a press release dated 5th February 2024, informing the public that Sierra Leone will play host to the first batch of Budapest- Bamako Freetown Rally Finish Line which will take place from the 11th to 12th February, 2024.
According to the release, the event which is dubbed, the Budapest-Bamako-Freetown Challenge is the world’s largest amateur vehicular rally and Africa’s biggest humanitarian event.
Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs also noted that the rally comprises 670 participants including [2] two Sierra Leoneans with over 300 vehicles arriving in Sierra Leone through Kambia on 11th February, 2024 to Bureh Beach where a Beach Carnival would be organized in their honour.
Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs also continued that on Monday 12th February, the teams would drive through up Gun, Kissy Road, Goderich Street, Sanders Street, Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road and Lumley Beach Road and arrive at the finish line, Gigibonta Restaurant Car Park, Lumley Beach Road where the Honorable Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and other State functionaries would receive them.
MTCA explained that the second batch of 194 Budapest-Bamako-Freetown rally participants would depart Hungary on 12th February and would arrive in Freetown on 4th March, 2024.
They ministry also expressed that they had embarked on a one “year Tourism for All Campaign’’ and the theme for the month of February is “Travel and Hospitality’’ which resonated with the arrival of the Budapest-Bamako-Freetown Rally adventure tourists to Sierra Leone.
They concluded that the Budapest-Bamako-Freetown Challenge aims at actualizing His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s vision of making Sierra Leone an attractive tourist destination, create a platform for cultural exchange, facilitate foreign direct investment and provide jobs for the youth, women and other vulnerable groups.
