The peaceful, friendly and scenic West African nation of Sierra Leone is set to host its first UN Women in Tourism Regional Congress on October 29 to 31, 2024 at the Freetown International Conference Centre. This milestone event will take place under the distinguished chairmanship of Honourable Nabeela Farida Tunis, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and a staunch advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The Congress aims to bring together female Ministers of Tourism and other key stakeholders in the tourism industry across the region, including policymakers, the private sector, and representatives from various UN agencies. The event will focus on advancing gender equality in the tourism sector, a critical industry for economic development in Africa.
Hon. Nabeela Tunis, who has been very vocal in the promotion of initiatives that promote women’s rights and empowerment, expressed her enthusiasm about the upcoming congress; “This event is a vital platform to discuss the role of women in tourism and how we can create more opportunities for them in this industry. We are honoured to host the Congress as well as the Women in tourism Africa Leadership Committee ( WiTLAC) in Sierra Leone, to showcase our rich cultural heritage and potential,” she stated.
The Congress, according to staff of the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs will feature a series of high-level panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions aimed at identifying challenges and opportunities for women in tourism. Topics such as sustainable tourism, women’s leadership in tourism, and strategies to overcome gender disparities in the sector will feature prominently in the discussions.
This event is very crucial for Sierra Leone’s women in the tourism industry who are still grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus on women in tourism is particularly relevant as many women in the sector were disproportionately affected by the downturn. The Congress will serve as a platform for sharing best practices and developing actionable strategies to empower women in tourism across the region.
The date for the Congress resonates with Minister Tunis’ flagship Tourism for All Campaign which seeks to establish partnerships and collaborations that will contribute to the long-term growth and inclusivity of the tourism sector in Africa. The month of October celebrates women in tourism in the Tourism for All campaign. The event promises to be a landmark occasion in the ongoing efforts to enhance women’s roles and contributions to the tourism industry across the region.
Sierra Leone’s tourism industry experienced a renaissance in 2018 when His Excellency, Brig. (Rtd) Dr Julius Maada Bio prioritized tourism in the country’s National Development agenda as a means of economic diversification and job creation for the youth, women and the physically challenged. The expectation of the government was to maximize tourist arrivals as well as increase the industry’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Data on the industry’s contribution to Sierra Leone’s GDP is still unclear. Hence, the Ministry has pushed aggressively for legislative and legal reforms that has the potential to enhance transparency in collating data on revenue generated by the Tourism industry.
The introduction of the 2% Tourism Levy under the Finance Act 2023 has been piloted with support from the National Revenue Authority with a view to track revenue generated by the industry.
Hon. Tunis was introduced to the sector in July 2023 as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. She is obviously not a novice in governance having served as Minister of Planning and Economic Development where she developed her party’s first Medium-Term National Development Plan 2018- 2023. She was elevated to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and later became the first Minister of the Western Region. These portfolios’ empowered her to approach her new assignment as Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs with a gender sensitive lens but leaving no one behind.
The introduction of the Tourism for All campaign aimed at promoting domestic tourism and local ownership of Sierra Leone’s authentic touristic offerings widened the space for women entrepreneurship and job creation for the youth. The carefully crafted monthly thematic activities has resonated seamlessly with the UN Women in Tourism agenda as Sierra Leone prepares to host its first UN Women in Tourism Congress in Freetown.
The Congress seeks to transition from empowerment to equipping women in tourism with the requisite access needed and support to achieve equitable opportunities at the continental level. Critical structural barriers that hinder women’s progress will be addressed by mostly Women Ministers of Tourism in Africa.
As Chairman of the Women in Tourism Leadership Africa Committee(WiTLAC), Hon. Tunis is expected to convene her colleagues on the margins of the Congress to refine the Committee’s structure and objectives. The Freetown Congress as sequel to the July, 2024 Zimbabwe meeting will focus on three thematic areas; mentorship and education; innovation and technology and access to finance, with structural barriers and capacity building as cross-cutting themes.
The Women in Tourism Leadership Africa Committee (WITLAC) was established following the 2nd Leadership Taskforce on Women’s Empowerment in Tourism in Africa, held in November 2019 in Accra during the 1st Regional Congress on Women’s Empowerment in the Tourism Sector with the goal of developing concrete action plans to unleash the potential of women in tourism. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic hindered progress which resulted to the group hosting only virtual meetings.
By EDWARD KWAME YANKSON
