Tourism and Cultural Affairs Ministr

By Josephine Sesay

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has officially declared 2025 as the year of Ecotourism, a national campaign designed to celebrate the country’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty while advancing environmental conservation, the initiative aims to raise public awareness on environmental protection and deforestation, with a focus on engaging students, local communities, civil society groups, and key stakeholders.

Speaking on Wake up Sierra Leone, director of Tourism Mohamed Jalloh highlighted the country’s unique appeal and the urgency of preservation, our unique culture and wonderful rainforests make us different from other countries, he said. So we have to preserve them.

As part of the year-long campaign, the ministry will roll out educational outreach programs, support community-based tourism ventures, and forge partnerships with international organizations to promote eco-friendly travel and conservation practices, a central objective is to empower local communities to take ownership of their natural resources and benefit from sustainable tourism.

The initiative dovetails with broader national efforts to combat environmental degradation, the government has recently announced plans to conduct a national Forest Inventory the first since 1975 and to develop sustainable biodiversity financing mechanisms, these measures form part of Sierra Leone’s response to pressing environmental challenges such as climate change and deforestation. linking tourism development with ecological stewardship, the year of Ecotourism 2025 is expected to do more than attract visitors, it aims to inspire a cultural shift toward sustainable development and environmental education across the country.

Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Friday, May 19th, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)