According to Tourism Ministry sources, wit facilitated by the National Tourist Board, the Group held exploratory meetings with Sierra Leone’s Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Memunatu Pratt at the recent French Expo held in Paris.
During the talks, according to officials in the Tourism ministry, Thomas Cook and the Minister spoke about Sierra Leone’s rich cultural and tourism resources and opportunities, and invited Thomas Cook Group to explore Sierra Leone.
The Group has promised to visit Sierra Leone in November 2018 to evaluate the country’s tourism opportunities and strengths with a view to marketing Sierra Leone globally as a tourist resort, they added.
“Sierra Leone remains one of the untapped treasures of the world,” said Director of Tourism, Mohamed Jalloh yesterday.
Acting General Manager of the National Tourist Board, Fatmata Abe Osagie said that bringing Thomas Cook Group to Sierra Leone could be the best thing to happen to tourism in Sierra Leone in recent years.
She informed this press that Thomas Cook Group operates in over 150 countries and that their package holidays are second to none with some of the world’s best destinations.
With international flight operators such as KLM and British Airways deciding not to fly to Sierra Leone, an opportunity with Thomas Cook to promote Sierra Leone as a tourist destination can only open the country for other flight operators to compete.
Sierra Leone’s tourism industry is in a state of flux, but has a great potential for development, the officials added.
