Shaikha Alnuwais, the new Secretary-General of UN Tourism and the first woman to assume the role, held a productive meeting with His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, pledging her support for the development of Sierra Leone’s tourism sector in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
During the discussions, Shaikha Alnuwais outlined her five key strategic priorities sustainable and responsible growth, digital transformation and data-driven tourism, economic inclusion and local empowerment, infrastructure, connectivity, and tourism enablers, governance, transparency, and global trust.
She highlighted Sierra Leone’s immense tourism potential and expressed her commitment to working closely with the government to unlock these opportunities. Shaikha Alnuwais also updated President Bio on her recent engagement with Madam Nabeela F. Tunis, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, commending the Minister’s visionary approach toward advancing the sector.
President Bio congratulated her on her election and acknowledged the strong bilateral ties between Sierra Leone and the UAE, which played a crucial role in supporting her candidacy.
Addressing the opportunities and challenges within the sector, President Bio emphasized that intensified cooperation between UN Tourism and Sierra Leone would drive significant progress. He praised Minister Tunis for the remarkable strides achieved under her leadership and assured the Secretary-General of Sierra Leone’s full support during her tenure. The President also reaffirmed his personal commitment to accelerating the development of the tourism sector.
In conclusion, the UN Tourism Secretary-General expressed her intention to visit Sierra Leone soon.