Sierra Leone among least visited countries

Sierra Leone has been ranked 20, in descending order, out of 25 least visited countries in the world, according to the online website, Migrating Mania on Media, Tech and Travel. Citing the UN World Tourism Organisation as its source, the website states that for the year 2011, Sierra Leone received only 52,000 tourists. According to the site, the reasons for Sierra Leone’s appalling ranking as a tourist destination, is that “getting to and from the airport is a pain”.  It adds that “you will have to go by one of three boat options taking 30-60 minutes to Freetown or splash out on a chartered helicopter that may or may not be operational”. The report says that “one of the options involve travelling 12 kilometers by taxi to the car ferry port.” Minister of tourism, Peter Bayuku Konteh, said the publication could not be far from the truth. He told Politico that Sierra Leone had not paid its dues to the UN World Tourism Organisation since 1979 and that could partly explain why the organisation was not recommending the country as a tourist destination. He said he had brought the matter to the attention of the government for consideration to pay its arrears. He noted that the tourism industry was intertwined with other sectors and that promoting that sector in the country was contingent on the performance of all government ministries, not least the ministries of works and infrastructure, health and sanitation and communication. The minister, however,said that he was optimistic about the tourism industry in Sierra Leone because it was no longer a war-torn country, but a place populated with peaceful, friendly and hospitable people. He stated that the country was blessed with huge and diverse touristic attractions, adding that his ministry was in the process of putting together the right legislation that would revamp the tourism industry and bring in the much desired income for government. (c) Politico 11/04/13