By: Audrey Raymonda John
The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs (MTCA), in collaboration with the World Bank-supported Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP), has held a strategic information session to unveil three newly developed touristic sites: Leicester Peak Viewing Deck, Tacugama Innovation Centre, and Bureh Beach Surf Club and Jetty.
The event, attended by government stakeholders, international investors, and private sector actors, aimed to showcase the new sites, outline available facilities, and highlight investment opportunities through public-private partnerships. The session also provided insights into the long-term vision and management strategies for sustainable development of these assets.
The initiative is designed to enhance the visitor experience with infrastructure tailored to adventure, relaxation, cultural enrichment, education, and the serenity of nature. Each site reflects a commitment to blending tourism and conservation while stimulating local economies.
Senior Permanent Secretary Edward Kwame Yankson, who chaired the session, emphasized the Ministry’s focus on raising awareness about these projects, encouraging private sector collaboration, and promoting national pride as key to revitalizing Sierra Leone’s tourism sector.
Echoing similar sentiments, Co-Chair Chuku Emeka Eze encouraged stakeholders to seize the opportunity to co-create value and drive sustainable impact.
Delivering his remarks, Minister of Finance Sheku Fantamadi Bangura praised the MTCA’s initiative, aligning it with the government’s broader goal of economic diversification. He noted that the private sector is critical in unlocking the tourism sector’s full potential, from job creation and investment to revenue generation. He commended Minister Nabeela Tunis for her outstanding leadership and reaffirmed the government’s continued support for the sector’s transformation.
In her keynote address, Minister Tunis stressed that private sector engagement is a strategic imperative. She revealed that recent community consultations showed a strong preference for a tripartite management model, where private operators manage the sites, the government provides oversight, and communities maintain local ownership. She underscored that this model ensures sustainability, transparency, and shared accountability.
These developments are part of Sierra Leone’s broader “Year of Ecotourism 2025” campaign, which seeks to protect and promote natural and cultural heritage, positioning the country as a leading ecotourism destination.
Director of Tourism, Travel and Exchange Programmes, Mohamed Jalloh, presented a detailed breakdown of each site’s facilities, commercial potential, and investment requirements. His presentation was followed by a video documentary that offered prospective investors a virtual tour and vision of the sites’ future.
The session concluded with a lively Q\&A segment, during which sector professionals responded to audience inquiries regarding the management and investment framework for the touristic sites.