The National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone is sponsoring the Experience Africa trade show in London (June 26-28) as it sees the UK trade as “hugely important” for the country’s recovery from pandemic restrictions.
Representatives from the tourism board will be at the event, taking place at Chelsea FC’s ground, to meet UK agents and operators to discuss marketing, products and training.
The tourist board can also offer UK agents marketing support and is looking to host its first European product fam trip this autumn.
Operators such as Intrepid Travel and Rainbow Tours offer holidays to the destination but the tourist board hope to woo more companies to feature the country.
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Fatmata Mida Hamid Carew, general manager at the National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone, said: “We’re proud to be exhibiting at Experience Africa. This is a first for Sierra Leone and a hugely exciting opportunity for us to meet with key players in the UK travel trade industry.
“It’s an important event in terms of our positioning and our engagement with such a key market.
“We’re very eager to meet with specialist tour operators to help expand their tour programme into our beautiful country.”
The tourist board aims to put Sierra Leone “on the map” as an international tourism destination and dispel myths about the country.
“Our country is still heavily associated with its political past, and we want to be able to show the UK traveller how much there is to discover,” said Carew.
“From chimpanzee sanctuaries to tropical beaches to hidden surfing spots and fascinating culture, we have so much to talk about.
“We are hugely proud of our country’s incredible nature, our national parks and our beaches.
“The UK travel trade is hugely important to us. We’re looking to engage with the UK travel trade to encourage the addition of Sierra Leone product as well as looking to encourage the development of existing product with our current trade partners.
“Connecting with the UK audience is instrumental with our overarching national tourism strategy, and to have the opportunity for support from the UK trade is vital for our progression.”
The country welcomed 107,000 visitors in 2019 and is now seeing a “gradual increase” following the pandemic, with full recovery estimated within two to four years.
“Our plans are to gather momentum once again. We’re really looking forward to having the opportunity to once again boost awareness of Sierra Leone,” added Carew.
“Since Covid, we have welcomed a lot of new tourism product in-country and now is the time to show it off.”
She said the growing popularity of unusual and adventure destinations works in Sierra Leone’s favour.
“We’re also encouraged to see how the UK traveller is far more eco-conscious since emerging from the pandemic. This aligns with our overall objectives as we are placing great emphasis on our sustainability initiatives,” added Carew.
UK travellers can reach Sierra Leone with Air France, KLM and Air Brussels, usually via either Paris or Brussels.
Freetown’s international airport opened a terminal in March and the road infrastructure has been “dramatically improved” with more plans for improvements in the pipeline, while the World Bank is supporting the upgrade of six key tourist sites.
“A love for nature is key with our visitors – with the birdlife, primates and the beauty of our national parks, it’s a holiday destination for those that want to reconnect with the environment,” said Carew.
“Sadly there are still common misconceptions that the country is unsafe.
“This could not be further from the truth – we’re proud of a welcoming and generous community and of a country that cherishes its wildlife and precious landscapes.
“We will always want travellers to visit Sierra Leone and truly find out for themselves what an incredible destination it really is.”
Agents can contact UK representatives via sierraleone@wearelotus.co.uk.
The UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice on Monday (June 26) to note the country’s general election on June 24, and warning that “increased political tensions are likely in the days after as counting/tallying is under way” and once results are announced by the Electoral Commission, which are expected this week.
“You are advised to avoid any political gatherings or demonstrations and to comply with any curfews or restrictions put in place,” said the advisory.
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