Tourism Ministry Holds Validation Workshop on Wildlife Tourism Policy

The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs alongside its agencies, the National Tourist Board and the Monument and Relics Commission held a validation workshop on the formulation of a Wildlife Tourism Policy and Business Development Plan. The workshop was witnessed by the Sierra Leone Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLAHTA) and the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Supported by the World Bank, this initiative is one of the various interventions of the Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP) in the Tourism Ministry.

The workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholder review, agreement on key decisions and buy-in from all parties to gain national acceptance and collective implementation.

The rationale for the Wildlife Tourism Policy and Business Development Plan is to provide a framework that guides the development, management, and regulation of tourism activities centered around wildlife, including the development of wildlife tourism businesses, creation of jobs, provision of livelihoods for the local populations and fostering economic stability in rural areas.

Over and above, to replicate the Kenyan model of wildlife and to educate tourists about the importance of wildlife conservation and the ecological significance of the areas they visit.

A cross-section of participants at the Validation Exercise