The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs joined the global tourism community in commemorating UN World Tourism Day 2024 on the theme: Tourism and Peace. Regional engagements on the nexus between tourism and peace were held in Kenema and Tonkolili Districts respectively to foster rural understanding on the essence of peaceful coexistence for tourism to blossom.
World Tourism Day has been held on the 27th September, 2022 each year since 1980. The global celebrations highlight the immense role tourism plays in driving social, cultural, political and economic development. This years theme, Tourism and Peace emphasizes the powerful connection between tourism and peace building, fostering cultural understanding and enhancing international cooperation.
In commemoration the day, the Ministry organized series of events in Freetown and in the provinces engaging community stakeholders, schools, tourism business as well as youth and women groups aimed at raising awareness about the strong link between tourism and peace, promote domestic tourism and support conflict resolution through peaceful means.
During the regional engagements, the Director of Tourism, Travel and Exchange Programme, Mohamed Jalloh in his submission on the purpose of the engagements, highlighted the need for sustained peace for Sierra Leones Tourism development. He mentioned that the Ministry has made significant progress in changing the tourism narrative, saying that it was only through a peaceful environment that the gains made will benefit the country.
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Khadijatu Grace Kamara premised her statements in Kenema and Magburaka on peaceful coexistence as a prerequisite for Sierra Leone’s steady tourism and cultural growth. She emphasized on the urgent need to revive the Sierra Leonean culture in giving them a true sense of belonging as a nation. She called on stakeholders to propagate peaceful messages in their communities in order to harness their tourism and cultural potentials.
Panel discussions on the theme, Tourism and Peace was anchored by Assistant Director of Tourism, Travel and Exchange, Magnus Leigh. Representatives from the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion, the Districts councils, Sierra Leone Police, Tourism Association made valuable contributions to the discussions, culminating in a question and answer session that climaxed the occasion.
Credit: MTCA Communications