March 30, 2021
By: Audrey. R. John
A delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and the National Tourist Board (NTB) led by the Minister, Dr. Memunatu Pratt has on the 27th March, 2021 attended the launch of the Association in Tourism, Southern Region and the presentation of award to the Minister at Dohas Hotel in Bo.
Explaining the purpose of the launching, the chairman for the association in tourism, Sam Goba said they are beginning a new dawn of tourism in the Southern Region and showcasing to the authorities present that they are pushing the agenda in tourism.
The hotelier of Dohas Hotel who also doubles as the Deputy Chairman of the Association in Tourism, Saleh Yayah stated that they took the venture to launch the Association in Tourism because of the enthusiasm in the Minister and the Tourist Board.
He mentioned that they took all steps to ensure that the association is recognized and given the power to operate under the rules and regulations of the tourism act and to make Sierra Leone a place to reckon with for tourism.
Delivering her keynote address, Dr. Memunatu Pratt said that since her appointment, this is the biggest launching of tourism association she has attended thus far. She maintained that all over the world tourism grows with a strong public private partnership including a very strong hotel or tourism association. “Before now there was a weak Ministry of Tourism, weak private sector and no existing association which gave me a difficult task in putting the Ministry and NTB together”, she affirmed.
She noted that the Ministry is doing a lot in exploring new tourism development areas which she said will attract investors to the sector, revealing that the Budapest, Bamako finish line that sold Sierra Leone enormously will happen in 2022 with a much bigger representation.
The event was climaxed with the presentation of an award to the Minister for her relentless efforts in improving the hospitality sector and also crowning Saleh Yayah as an ambassador for tourism.
Awards were also given to the NTB, and other stakeholders of the ministry for their dedication to the tourism sector.