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The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. President Julius Madda Bio, has welcomed participants of the Budapest-Bamako Rally, after they crossed the finish line at the Lumley Beach Car Park in Freetown on Tuesday 8th November 2022.
President Julius Maada Bio, told the participants that he is the Chief tourist and encouraged them to enjoy the beauty, people and peace of Sierra Leone during their short stay in the country.
The Budapest-Bamako Rally lasted for 19 days and spanned 9000 kilometres.
The President expressed thanks and appreciation to the organizers of the rally for choosing Sierra Leone as their destination. This he said, will go a long way in letting the world know that Sierra Leone is a peaceful Country and open for investment.
He also used the forum to lavish praises on the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Madam Memunatu Pratt and her team for using tourism to showcase Sierra Leone to the world.
“This Budapest Bamako Rally finish event in the country is very significant, as it reveals to the world that Sierra Leone is a resilient country, which is striving to make itself known for good things,” he said.
He assured the participants of a proper reception after the next Rally in March 2023, for which Freetown has now been earmarked as the official destination and called on the private sector to come to Sierra Leone and invest as the country is open for investment.
The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, who also doubled as Chairman of the ceremony, commended the organisers of the Budapest rally and for particularly choosing Sierra Leone as their destination amidst all what detractors have said and done about the country. This he said, is a demonstration of the resilience and determined leadership of President Bio in letting the world know that Sierra Leone can no longer be defined by war or Ebola, but as a peaceful, stable, tolerant and democratic nation.
“What we are witnessing here today demonstrates the strides President Bio has made in the tourism sector, and his commitment and determination in reviving and revamping the tourism sector in the country,” he said.
Earlier, the leader of the Rally organisers revealed that they waited almost three years to be here in Sierra Leone due to the COVID-19 pandemic but they feel fulfilled that they are finally in Sierra Leone.
‘We travelled through mountains, deserts, jungles, dusty forest roads in the forest of Guinea just to be in this wonderful country called Sierra Leone,” he said.
CEO Andrew expressed profound gratitude for the wonderful welcome they received in Sierra Leone, saying that it is the best welcome since the inception of the rally 17 years ago.
He praised all participants for covering what he referred to as the longest and most difficult rally ever.
“On behalf of all of us we want to say thanks to the president and the people of Sierra Leone for such a wonderful welcome accorded us, especially the nice people and environment,” he said
Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Madam Memunatu Pratt, expressed similar sentiments of joy and happiness. She also took the opportunity to throw light on what she has achieved as Minister, since she was appointed to lead the Tourism Ministry and thanked all those who contributed in diverse ways to making the rally a success.
