How West Africa's best-kept secret is preparing to welcome more tourists
Sierra Leone is doubling down on its mission to attract more visitors – we speak to the general manager of the national tourist board for the latest updates
Vibrant West African culture, verdant landscapes, and pristine beaches... Sierra Leone holds plenty of appeal for adventurous travellers looking to explore somewhere relatively undiscovered. And it’s becoming easier to get there and travel around. Since a new international airport, Lungi, opened in Sierra Leone’s capital city Freetown in March 2023, the destination has been upping its efforts with the travel trade, while the European Union is funding 100km of road upgrades, improving connections for tourists.
Speaking to TTG, Fatmata Mida Hamid Carew, general manager of the Sierra Leone National Tourist Board, says: “Our main goal is to increase visitor footfall to Sierra Leone, so we are engaging with European tour operators to encourage product and itinerary development. We invest each year in trade fam trips, and European trade shows are crucial in our engagement.”
The tourist board exhibits annually at WTM, Experience Africa, FITUR and ITB, and has recently become a member of the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA).
Aito member Undiscovered Destinations has a Sierra Leone – Forts, Chimps and Beaches itinerary; Rainbow Tours, a long-time champion of Sierra Leone, has a new Discover Sierra Leone tour; and KE Adventures has just launched its inaugural tour.
The new Freetown Lungi airport can process 90,000 passengers per month, five times the previous capacity, and it is powered by a 1.5- megawatt solar farm: “It’s the first fully green airport terminal in West Africa,” says Hamid Carew. The runway has been resurfaced and the next phase of the development plan includes a five-star hotel near the airport. Currently, three airlines – Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Royal Air Maroc – make Sierra Leone accessible from Europe. “This access is combined with our easy e-visa service,” she adds.
Sierra Leone’s natural environment makes it a tempting draw for adventurous travellers, with surfing on Bureh Beach, diving at the remote Turtle Islands and hiking Mount Bintumani (the highest peak in West Africa) all highlights.
There are also plans for a new eco-tourism circuit that includes Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Mt Bintumani. The route will comprise regenerative and community-led tourism projects that both create opportunities for local people and help protect the local environment. The Tacugama team has provided training for 21 eco-guards to patrol in Loma Mountains National Park, providing livelihood support and helping educate on how to safeguard chimpanzees.
Hamid Carew says: “When new visitors arrive in Sierra Leone, many are struck by just how friendly and safe the country feels. The past’s challenges have built a real resilience and tolerance in the Sierra Leonean people, who have a positive outlook on the future of the country.”
The government is working to promote domestic tourism and to engage and invest local communities in the array of opportunities offered by tourism. Hamid Carew explains: “One core way that we are working to develop this is through our domestic scheme, Tourism for All. The programme includes a wide range of events and initiatives, including discounted entry to Sierra Leone’s top cultural and natural attractions for local people. We hope that Tourism for All will instil a sense of pride in Sierra Leone, which in turn will encourage more to work within the tourism sector, driving the economy.”
An example of local engagement is the Freetown the Treetown project, a 2023 Earthshot Prize finalist, which aims to reverse the deforestation caused by urban development in the city. The city has enlisted tree guardians to plant and monitor trees, which are tracked via an online platform. Since inception, nearly one million trees have been planted.
Book it: Rainbow Tours’ 10-night Sierra Leone Made Simple starts from £3,045pp; rainbowtours.co.uk. Undiscovered Destinations’ eight-day Forts, Chimps and Beaches starts from £2,085pp; undiscovered-destinations.com
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