By Politico staff writer
During a recent tour of Pujehun district, southern Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio declared the town of Sulima as a tourism development destination.
The declaration came after a conducted tour of the town’s beach area with the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt and other members of his government.
According to the communication unit at State House, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs with support from UNDP trained the women of Sulima on entrepreneurship development skills for alternative livelihood enhancement in 2020.
In her statement, the Tourism Minister, Dr. Memunatu Pratt said the purpose of the visit was to survey the 40 kilometer beach to ascertain its shape and design in order to have a tourism development plan for the place, noting that the beach is strategically located very close to Liberia, supported by a rich Island.
She said she undertook a general study of tourism development in Sierra Leone immediately she was appointed and found out that Sulima had huge tourism potentials because of its beach and a very rich culture which when developed will create jobs and improve the lives of the people of the town.
She added that after an engagement with the people of Sulima, they realized the need for an alternative livelihood to improve their lives, and that it was against that backdrop that the ministry with support from UNDP conducted series of skills training for women, and that the ministry is also trying to incorporate women of Sulima into the MUNAFA Micro Enterprise Program that was recently launched by President Bio.
Addressing the people of Sulima, President Bio assured them that his government will make Sulima a center for tourism, where people will be coming from Freetown and even abroad to spend quality time.
To achieve that, he called on the people of Sulima to play good host to tourists, noting that for tourism to thrive, the community has a pivotal role to play.
He commended the women for the display of handicrafts and encouraged them to have an attitude that will attract tourists. The president reminded the people of Sulima that they are part of Sierra Leone and that development will reach them.
Surveying the Sulima 40 kilometers beach, President Bio invited all Sierra Leoneans to enjoy the beauty of the country. He said he was impressed with the quality of the beach and the government will continue promoting local tourism.
Sulima is a coastal town in the South of Sierra Leone that borders Liberia by sea. It is known for its natural endowments, segmented ports for fishing and over 40 kilometers of beach layout.
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