By Tony Yayo
Sierra Leone, for the first time hosts, the world’s last great adventure rally dubbed, the Budapest-Bamako-Freetown Rally 2020 event.
Over 700 tourists will be arriving in Freetown this weekend as the part of the event.
Communications Lead at the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mohamed Faray Kargbo said the Budapest-Bamako Rally is an adventure race which lasts for seventeen days. It passes through ten countries covering a total of 8,235 km.
The team according, to Kargbo leaves Budapest, Hungary on January 31, 2020, through Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea and to Sierra Leone on the 16 February 2020.
Kargbo also noted that the Budapest-Bamako is the largest charity rally in Africa. “For the past 15 years, it has become the world’s largest amateur rally with around 600 participants in the world,” the spokesman said. “The benefits associated with such adventures for Sierra Leone are manifold,” kargbo emphasised.
He said the country stood to benefit from the direct spending by over 600 tourists who are expected to spend three nights in Sierra Leone.
The tourists, according to Kargbo, would also cultivate 2000 trees as a way of mitigating climate change.
Whilst in Sierra Leone, the tourists are expected to drive from Masiaka through Waterloo, Bai Bureh Road, Kissy Road, Goderich Street, Rokel Street, Siaka Stevens Street, St. John, Savage Street, Syke Street and National Stadium where President Maada Bio is expected to deliver the keynote address.
Cultural performances and other entertainment would form part of the welcome ceremony.