Sierra Leone: High Airfares Strangle Tourism

Sierra Leone’s high airfares strangle tourism, this is indeed true as confirmed by the countries tourism minister Kadi Sesay Officials in Sierra Leone’s Tourism Ministry say high charges of airfares have forced potential tourists to go elsewhere, leaving the sector performing below its potential. Tourism in Sierra Leone is about the most dormant economic activity in the country, yet many experts say it has a huge potential, considering the tourist sites adoring parts of the country, as well as its beaches. The acting minister of Tourism and culture, Kadi Sesay, cited a number of other factors in addition to airfares which she said were keeping her department dormant. She cited a very small budgetary allocation. The tourism ministry, receives the lowest annual allocation of about 1 percent of the total national budget. Very little of whatever amount is allocated reaches the ministry, making it unable to do anything meaningful. For the tourism sector to become viable, the sector needs funding increment from the Finance Ministry. Paul Okia Happy Tours Africa happytoursug@gmail.com www.happytoursug.com