In her speech in the commemoration of UN World Tourism Day 2024 on the theme: Tourism and Peace, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Khadijatu Grace Kamara, calls on the urgent need for Sierra Leone to revive its 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 potential. She went on to premise her statement on the peaceful coexistence as a prerequisite for Sierra Leone’s steady tourism and cultural growth.

The event that was held in Kenema and Tonkolili Districts also witnessed the presence of the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs aimed at fostering rural understanding of the essence of peaceful coexistence for tourism to blossom.

World Tourism Day has been held on the 27th of September, 2022 each year since 1980. The global celebrations highlight the immense role tourism plays in driving social, cultural, political and economic development. This year’s theme, Tourism and Peace emphasizes the powerful connection between tourism and peacebuilding, 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 would benefit the country.

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,the Sierra Leone Police, Tourism Association made valuable contributions to the discussions, culminating in a question and answer session that climaxed the occasion.