Is Sierra Leone ready for Tourism?

Once upon a time Sierra Leone was a prosperous nation and it was championed as the blueprint of a successful West Africa nation. Thousands came from the sub-region to be educated at our outstanding institutions. Tourists came from the world over to get a taste of this beautiful country and the lifestyle of its warm and hospitable people. However, one day, it all went wrong. In truth, the civil war was to destroy what was left of the already crumbling economy and dash the fragile hopes of the Sierra Leonean people who wished for a brighter future.

It has been six years since the war and Sierra Leone is looking to make up for lost time. It has a democratically elected government and a stable economy which is a pre-requisite for economic growth.

When I started Visit Sierra Leone (www.visitsierraleone.org) in 2004, Sierra Leone and Tourism were hardly mentioned in the same breath. It is certainly encouraging that the rest of the world now seems to be wakening to the potential of this industry in Sierra Leone. The talk of tourism is certainly getting louder and President Koroma has publicly stated that this is an industry he is looking to develop, which is great.

Make no mistake, the task facing the government is a huge one. To rebuild what has been destroyed over a period of over thirty years is not going to happen overnight. The Tourism sector can potentially offer much needed revenue stream to the economy. If managed properly, it will create jobs and will have a knock on effect on local economy. Take Ghana for example: the World Tourism and Travel Council’s 2004 Travel and Tourism Economic research states: “On a more specific basis in 2004, Ghana's Travel & Tourism Industry is expected to generate 4.8% of GDP and 193,722 jobs, while the broader Travel & Tourism Economy is expected to total 9.7% of GDP and 398,471 jobs.”

Whilst Sierra Leone tourism industry is not at the stage of our Ghanaian counterparts it highlights in real terms the potential benefits of proper planning.

If we are serious about moving developing our industry then more than just a verbal commitment is required. There needs to be the will and commitment to take this on.

The tourism ministry itself lacks sufficient capacity for this challenge which means a cross-ministry approach is the way forward as the tourism sector cannot be developed in isolation. A root and branch analysis is required; in short, we have to go back to basics.

Tackling negative perceptions on Sierra Leone…

This was the main reason I established VSL in the first place. I feel very strongly about this issue as I feel it is one of our biggest challenges and will involve huge costs. The important thing to note is that it affects not only Tourism but attracting Investment to Sierra Leone as a whole. The President has indicated the need for an attitudinal change campaign which is a great idea. I believe we should also seriously consider an International Communication Campaign. Sierra Leone needs to be re-branded. Some attitudes towards Sierra Leone are deeply entrenched in the minds of many, thanks to the graphics that came out during the conflict. Many have benefited from what I refer to as the Sierra Leone War Industry. These war DVDs, books, articles, documentaries which are still being showed in the international media only serve to perpetuate the image of a warring Sierra Leone. We need a more focused approach from the Information, Trade and Industry and Foreign Affairs Ministries. I’d also like to see the Diplomatic Offices take more of an assertive stance in communicating Sierra Leone’s progress. A “Positive Information” task force could be set up which includes representation from the above offices as well as that of Tourism and The Diaspora. One of the responsibilities of such a task force would be to challenge one-sided reports about Sierra Leone. One recent case from a couple of months ago was the broadcast of a documentary – Blood Diamonds – by Channel 5 in the UK. Not only was the program at least 5 years late but it also included graphic images of corpses littered along the streets of Freetown. This not only disrespected our dead but it also added nothing to the story – it was unnecessary. Or take the case of Leonardo Di Caprio’s movie ‘Blood Diamond’, where I was hoping the government at the time would use the international media - all of whom were covering the story - to talk about Sierra Leone and the positive strides we had taken so movie goers would be able to differentiate between past and present. It never came. Kazakhstan provides an example of how government’s can use the international media to their advantage. Recently Kazakhstan was the focus of the movie ‘Borat’, which portrayed the country in unflattering terms. The Kazakh government published angry four-page ads in the New York Times in an attempt to correct some of Borat’s claims. A tourism boom followed and some hotels reported a trebling of international visitors.

Customer Service…

Tourism is a service driven industry and for the most part, the service in this country is appalling. Imagine that you can quite easily pay over £1,500 to get to Sierra Leone only to have the most basic facilities and service. I often feel as though I’m being granted a favour even when I’m paying for a service with my hard earned cash. Consider that these days you can fly within Europe for £30, or get to The Gambia for half as much as it does to get here but you are treated to a superior level of service and professionalism. It’d be great to establish Customer Service Training Institutes which delivers students qualified to international level. Such qualifications must be made a requirement for working in tourist establishments and pay levels for staff should be reviewed. I know that the Milton Margai College of Education already has a faculty of Hotel and Tourism at the Brookfields Campus but their capacity to deliver high quality training is limited due to lack of adequate resources.

An ongoing training scheme would also be beneficial. It is in the interest of all stakeholders in the industry to see an increase in the service provided. So, twice a year for example, we could employ the services of an international consultant to provide a series of workshops for hoteliers, staff, wardens, the community etc.

Transfers…

The transfer situation – this is the proverbial pain in the ass. In the last year alone, we have seen one near miss from the helicopter, one crash which claimed over twenty lives and fire on the hovercraft. Both the helicopter and hovercraft are currently grounded. This is bad for business. The ferry, perceived as the safe option can add a few hours to your travel time just to get to the east of Freetown. You then have to negotiate your way through some pretty horrible traffic to get to any of the hotels in the west of town. Though there is often talk of a “Lungi Bridge”, in the short term getting good operators to offer proper and efficient service is the way forward. We may well need to see which operators are doing similar business in other countries and offer them ‘sweeteners’ to get them into Sierra Leone. I do however believe that a road connecting the airport and Freetown is probably the best bet. The Lungi to Rogberi Junction stretch is less than 30 miles and I wonder why no previous administration ever prioritised its construction. In most countries, people are used to driving for over a couple of hours from the airport to their destination. The psychological difference here is that once you get into your vehicle, you’re moving and getting your first view of the countryside - rather than just sitting at tagrin waiting hours for the ferry especially when flights arrive at awkward hours in the morning. This road will also connect to Waterloo which branches off into the peninsula route where the resorts are expected to be based. Hence, the traffic in the East can be avoided. Using other means of transfer such as the helicopter will add $140 (per person) to your holiday and if you're a family... well you do the math. The road will also hopefully bring development along the route.

Our Airport…

The first and last impression that visitors have of Sierra Leone is our airport, and its operations. It can be chaotic, especially on busy days and could be an intimidating introduction if you’re a first time visitor. Cutting down on amount of porters and putting them on the payroll, whilst adding value to the job may help. The airport is not a market, this only adds to the chaotic atmosphere. Serious consideration should also be put into installing CCTV cameras both for security and as a deterrent for questionable practices. The process especially for departures needs to be a bit smoother. I’ve heard whispers of plans to build a new airport (or extension), and whilst this might be a good thing going forward, we need to make sure we can efficiently run what we currently have and that staff are properly trained.

Making it easy to get here…

Just over a year or so ago, there was talk of a visa on arrival being introduced but this seems to have died a natural death. Allegedly, our diplomatic offices thought it would reduce the revenue derived from Visa applications. If this is the case, on one hand they have a point but on the other we need to look at the bigger picture. Our diplomatic representation worldwide is quite limited; we don’t have any in countries like Canada, Spain and Australia for example. With identity theft these days, folks may be uneasy putting their passports in the post. Could we work out a scheme for citizens of countries where we have no diplomatic representation they can apply for a visa on arrival? Remember we are competing with other well oiled tourism industries and we need to make Sierra Leone more competitive in the Global Tourism Market. We need to make it easier for folks to come here.

Infrastructure…

This is often cited as a main reason for lack of development in the tourism industry. Whilst it undoubtedly plays a part, some of the obstacles may well be overcome. For example, a map of Sierra Leone indicates an airfield in most of the major cities. Bo, Kenema, Daru, Kabala, Bonthe for example all (according to the map) has some sort of landing strip nearby. Again, attracting a reputable company (with a proven track record) to run internal flights may be an option. Identifying sites of touristic value and developing the infrastructure around them should also help overcome this challenge. The North for instance with Outamba Kilimi National Park, Loma Mountains, Bumbuna, and Lake Sonfon offers an interesting opportunity for tourism.

Education…

I talked to a couple of Belgian tourists who had booked their hotel through the visitsierraleone.org, just to find out about their experience in Sierra Leone. They said it was a great trip but one thing that surprised them was how no one would believe they were tourists. They had to be working for some NGO or on a project. Seems folks have just forgotten what tourists are. We need to educate the local community on who tourists are, what they are doing here and how they should be treated.

Sierra Leoneans should also be educated in about the value of our history and heritage sites. How many of us have heard about Outamba Kilimi National Park? Or know about De Ruyter’s stone? I believe the Monuments and Relics Commission are working on an audit of all such sites so we can have a clearer idea what we’re packaging for tourists.

And finally…

Having the commitment to move this industry on is vitally important for its development. I must commend the National Tourist Board who have been trying their best to make sure the industry stays alive – and this with limited resources. They have also been a great and consistent support to me since 2004 when I told them about plans for VSL. They have spearheaded all promotional efforts over the past 4 years and have been quite instrumental in acquiring funds for planning and marketing over the next five years. I hope their capacity will be further strengthened in the coming years.

There are still tough issues such as land ownership which have to be tackled head on. Sierra Leonean owned businesses should be encouraged to enter the sector and they must be given the support to grow - it is crucial that as much of the revenue derived from the sector stays in this country. There are plans and marketing programmes underway to stimulate the re-launching of the tourism sector but I think it is important that we do not ignore the basics for they are the foundation upon which a strong and sustainable tourism industry will be built.