The Ministry of Tourism & Cultural Affairs in collaboration with the National Tourist Board with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP- IGEF) Global Environmental Finance Funded Project on Thursday 17th September, 2020 engaged Media Practitioners at Family Kingdom Resort, Aberdeen, Freetown on a one day workshop on sustainable tourism to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change with the objective of enhancing the role of the media in promoting sustainable Eco-tourism in Sierra Leone.
The Media Practitioners which comprises newspapers Managing Editors, editors, Radio Station Managers and Senior Reporters were drawn from wide range of media outlets countrywide.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, NTB General Manager, Madam Fatmata Kroma reiterated on how the tourism sector has suffered a lot of misfortune from a savage and devastating war, Ebola, mudslides and now covid-19 pandemic.
Giving the keynote address at the workshop, the waxing lyrical poet orator Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt urged members of the Fourth Estate to help to sell the country image on Eco Tourist. She noted that political, social and economic development cannot be achieved without the fundamental role of the media as the fourth estate in society. She appealed to media practitioners to be fully engaged in marketing the country as they are the most powerful weapon to unleash on tourism marketing and rebranding of the country. She noted that promoting ecotourism faces numerous challenges. As such, she stated that the media – print, electronic and social media – have a big role to play in rebranding Sierra Leone’s image as a tourist destination.
She said that this can be done through publishing articles, publications and pictures of our national parks, beaches, arts to help change the mindset of the outside of Sierra Leone; noting that tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
