By Mohamed Ismail Kamara
Executive Director, Stichting Ecoprobe Africa, The Netherlands
ecoprobeafrica@gmail.com
Sierra Leone stands at a defining crossroads. This moment is shaped by renewed energy in tourism promotion and the urgent need to address the environmental and infrastructural challenges that continue to hinder national progress. In recent years, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has demonstrated admirable commitment to elevating Sierra Leone’s global image. Her involvement in beach cleaning campaigns, the removal of illegal structures along the Lumley shoreline, and interventions to manage seasonal seaweed invasions reflect a clear determination to restore the natural beauty of our coastline.
Her support for major cultural events, most notably the One Nation Reggae Festival, further illustrates a bold ambition to position Sierra Leone as a cultural hub capable of attracting both the diaspora and international visitors. These efforts deserve sincere recognition. However, there is an important opportunity to build on the festival’s success and transform it into an annual flagship event that the world anticipates. Making it a permanent tradition would strengthen Sierra Leone’s cultural identity and create a dependable platform that draws thousands of participants each year.
Such a festival carries enormous potential. For the diaspora, it becomes a cultural homecoming, a chance to reconnect with the motherland, celebrate heritage and strengthen ties with their roots. Countries such as Jamaica, Ghana and Kenya have successfully used annual festivals to boost tourism, deepen cultural engagement and enhance global visibility. Around the world, major events like Jamaica’s Reggae Sumfest, Ghana’s Afrochella and Kenya’s Jamafest demonstrate the transformative power of cultural festivals in shaping national identity and attracting international attention. Sierra Leone has the same potential to achieve this level of global impact.
Institutionalizing the event would generate international anticipation, attract global media attention and encourage repeat visits from tourists who view Sierra Leone as a vibrant cultural experience. It would also stimulate economic opportunities for local businesses, artists, musicians, hotels, tour operators and community vendors. Over time, the festival could become a defining symbol of Sierra Leone’s cultural renaissance, associated with unity, creativity and pride.
Strategic international promotion will be essential. Advertising on global media channels months in advance, involving Sierra Leonean embassies worldwide, and appointing international cultural ambassadors to promote the festival across major cities can significantly expand its reach. Sierra Leone once stood high on Africa’s ecotourism map, and a well-organized annual cultural festival can contribute meaningfully to regaining that position.
Yet, despite these promising strides, we must address the difficult realities that continue to undermine Sierra Leone’s credibility as a world-class tourism destination.
Environmental Protection and Tourism Are Inseparable
Tourism flourishes only where nature is respected and protected. This is a principle affirmed worldwide. A greener Sierra Leone is not merely a matter of aesthetics; it is an economic necessity. Protecting forests, maintaining clean cities and preserving the purity of beaches create a natural appeal that no marketing campaign can replicate.
Imagine visitors traveling to the Gola Rainforest to observe baboons, chimpanzees, forest elephants, rare birds and untouched biodiversity. Sierra Leone’s ecotourism assets, including Gola Rainforest National Park, Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the Western Area Peninsula National Park, Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Outamba-Kilimi National Park, the Banana and Turtle Islands, River No. 2 and Tokeh Sands, the Loma Mountains, Kangari Hills, Lake Sonfon and the estuary islands, such as Tasso Island, offer extraordinary potential. Properly protected and marketed, these sites could position Sierra Leone as a leading ecotourism destination in West Africa.
However, the first impression many visitors receive upon arriving in Freetown is far from encouraging. Overflowing gutters, disorganized streets, unmanaged waste and persistent congestion, damage the city’s image and overshadow its natural beauty. Many tourists who visit once admit that although the country is beautiful, the level of filth discourages them from returning. This is a painful truth, but one that must be confronted with urgency.
City Management and Visitor Experience Matter
The contrast between Sierra Leone and other African or Caribbean destinations is striking. In countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Botswana, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, visitors are welcomed by green, clean and well-organized environments. Though street trading exists in these countries, it is properly managed, dignified and does not obstruct public spaces or traffic.
In Sierra Leone, tourists often encounter chaotic street trading, blocked walkways, excessive noise and persistent harassment from street boys. For many visitors, this creates a stressful and overwhelming experience. Tourism cannot thrive under these conditions. To compete internationally, Sierra Leone must cultivate urban environments that are orderly, safe and welcoming.
Even international performers have taken notice. During his performance at the One Nation Reggae Festival, the renowned Jamaican artist, Sizzla Kalonji, urged Sierra Leone to “clean up the streets, paint the walls, make the streets decent,” highlighting the disorderly and unclean state of the city. His words reflect an undeniable truth. Any city aspiring to attract visitors must present an environment that is clean, organized and dignified.
Airline Costs, Travel Demand and the Tourism Paradox
Air travel plays a critical role in Sierra Leone’s tourism development. Many people rightly complain about the high cost of flights to Freetown, which remains one of the most expensive destinations in West Africa. This is largely due to low passenger volume. With only an estimated one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand visitors annually, the country falls far below the traffic levels needed to attract more airlines or reduce fares.
Airlines operate on profitability. When a route is not lucrative, few carriers are willing to serve it. As tourist numbers rise, competition among airlines will naturally increase, resulting in lower ticket costs. The long-term solution to expensive flights lies in building a strong, consistent tourism market supported by cleanliness, safety, efficient infrastructure and environmental protection.
The Road Ahead: Reclaiming Our Place on the Tourism Map
Sierra Leone was once one of West Africa’s top tourism destinations. In the 1970s and early 1980s, visitors traveled from around the world to enjoy pristine beaches, exceptional hospitality and vibrant cultural life. Today, nations such as The Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Cape Verde and Rwanda have surged ahead, while Sierra Leone struggles to regain traction. This decline, however, is not irreversible.
Sierra Leone possesses beautiful Atlantic coastlines, rare wildlife, unspoiled forests, a rich cultural heritage and a warm, welcoming population. What is lacking and urgently needed is environmental discipline, urban organization and infrastructure that meets modern expectations.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture is doing her part, but tourism extends far beyond any single ministry. It requires coordinated collaboration among local councils, environmental agencies, sanitation authorities, the private sector and the general public. It demands a renewed sense of national pride and a collective commitment to a cleaner, greener and more organized Sierra Leone.
If Sierra Leone genuinely wishes to see tourism flourish, then decisive action is essential. A thriving tourism industry is not built on slogans or short-term campaigns. It is founded on environmental stewardship, urban order and ecological resilience. We must protect our ecosystems, beautify our cities, maintain clean public spaces, preserve our beaches, organize our streets and safeguard our forests and marine environments, from the Gola Rainforest to the Western Area Peninsula.
Tourism is more than an industry. It is the reflection of a nation’s soul. It reveals how we value our environment, how we manage our communities and how we welcome the world. Let us build a Sierra Leone that reflects our highest values, a country where nature is respected, cities are clean, visitors feel safe and our unmatched beauty stands proudly among the world’s finest destinations.
The potential is here.
The world is watching.
And the responsibility is ours.