The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has convened a high-level consultative meeting with key stakeholders from the tourism, hospitality and creative industries to strengthen collaboration and chart a new path for sustainable sector development in Sierra Leone.
The meeting, held at Dove’s Nest, Aberdeen, Freetown, focused on the formation of a National Tourism Federation and the need to enhance the private sector’s role in driving upcoming sector activities and initiatives.
The Secretary-General of the Transitional Leadership Committee (TLC), Mr Abdul Karim Jalloh, delivered a statement on behalf of the executive, presenting the recategorized list of stakeholder associations that will form part of the proposed federation.
The recognized categories include the Association of Small-Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET), Association of Entertainers (AE), Association of Creative Tourism Services (ACTS), Tourism Transportation Association (TAT), Association of Accommodations (AHA), Hospitality Association of Service Providers (HASP), Tourism Business Owners and Investment Network (TBOIN), Association of Tourism and Hospitality Professionals (ATHOP), Association of Community-Based Tourism Organizations (ACTO), and Tourism Civil Society Organizations and Media Platforms.
Director of Tourism Mohamed Jalloh reviewed previous commitments and presented a proposed calendar of activities leading to the establishment of the federation. The activities include the finalization of the federation’s constitution, establishment of an Electoral Committee, election of executives and the official inauguration of the new leadership, scheduled to run from August 5 to September 25, 2026.
He stressed the importance of adhering to the agreed timelines, noting that the upcoming federation elections in September require close attention and proactive engagement from all stakeholders.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Judith Johnson, welcomed participants and emphasised that the decisions reached during the meeting would play a significant role in shaping the future direction of the tourism and creative industries.
She encouraged stakeholders to embrace collective responsibility and work towards achieving practical results that would strengthen tourism’s contribution to national development.
The meeting also featured extensive discussions with representatives from various tourism-related associations providing comments, suggestions, questions and recommendations aimed at improving coordination within the sector.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mrs Nabeela Farida Tunis, urged leaders of the various stakeholder groups to move beyond past challenges and build on recent progress, particularly the introduction of a new legal framework for the sector.
She described the framework as a “transformative tool” that would help reposition the industry and called for innovative, forward-looking strategies to maximize its benefits.
Minister Tunis noted that the proposed activity calendar should serve as a strategic roadmap and encouraged stakeholders to collectively refine and implement it. She further called for visionary leadership, stronger collaboration and bold ideas to position tourism, hospitality and creative industries as key drivers of economic diversification and employment creation.
The consultative meeting represents another major milestone in the Ministry’s efforts to improve tourism governance and establish a unified Tourism Federation capable of effectively representing the interests of the sector both nationally and internationally.