The proposed return of a direct flight between the UK and Sierra Leone has been forecast to make a significant contribution to the number of British visitors the destination welcomes.
It was announced last month that new national carrier Air Sierra Leone was planning to introduce a service linking Freetown and Gatwick from December this year.
Fatmata Mida Hamid Carew, general manager of Sierra Leone Tourism Board, said work on the route was ongoing, adding that further updates would be released in due course.
“I think it would make a tremendous difference,” she said, when asked about the likely impact of the direct flight.
The last time the destination was served by a non-stop route from the UK was in 2016, when Fly Salone operated a leased aircraft for a short period. British Airways stopped its service in 2014.
Around 5,000 UK visitors were received in the period from January to the end of September this year.
Next year will see the operation of additional tours from a number of UK operators, including Encounters Travel, Oasis Overland, Naturetrek, Rainbow Tours and Undiscovered Destinations.
The West African country regards its key strengths as being its beaches, wildlife and “rich culture”.
“Sierra Leone has been very peaceful for the last few decades and it’s ready for tourism. We have the product that the UK market is looking for,” said Carew.
She added: “It’s a new destination and we don’t stage-manage – what you see is what you get, so let [UK visitors] come and experience the richness of our culture and the richness of our people. We’re some of the happiest people in the world.”
Photo: Fatmata Mida Hamid Carew, general manager of Sierra Leone Tourism