By Janet Sesay
Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for the first time in history, will be participating in the World’s Largest Amateur Rally alongside ten countries.
This event will accommodate seven hundred participants from different countries and it is expected to start from Budapest, Hungary through Bamako, Mali.
The first twenty participants to finish the race in Sierra Leone, the finishing point for this year’s Amateur Rally will be the official winners of the World’s Largest Amateur Rally 2020.
The rally will start on 31st December 2019 in Budapest, Hungary and ends in Freetown on 16th February 2020.
The Minister of Tourism, Dr. Memunatu Pratt while addressing journalists on the rally, indicated that the Ministry hopes to use the event to promote tourism and cultural development in Sierra Leone.
The Ministry, Dr. Pratt said, has been aggressively involved in not only building the infrastructure of the country’s tourism, but also try to do unique things that can promote the country’s flourishing tourism sector.
The Tourism Minister furthered that they are ready to work with credible and reliable partners to promote Sierra Leone’s tourism sector to a world class destination.
She lauded the contribution and support of all and sundry both in the public and private sectors to support the Ministry’s aspirations.
Mohammed Jalloh, Director at the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in his remarks, stated that the event is a humanitarian venture expected to bring in participants from across ten countries across the world.
The participants, he recounted, will have an opportunity to interact with communities in Sierra Leone with a view to experience first-hand the country’s culture.
The Tourism Director however indicated that the event will be sued to rebrand the country’s image as a peaceful and tourist destination point.
Andrew Sozabo, Tour Coordinator for the World Amateur Rally stated that the reason why they decided to end the rally in Sierra Leone is because it is a safe and friendly nation.
He disclosed that they would have to stop in villages within Sierra Leone during the rally and make friends with the local people in different communities.
The event, he continued, has been held in different countries like Canada, America, Bamako, Guinea Bissau and Gambia but that this time round they are looking at new destinations and Sierra Leone was selected due to its peaceful record.
He thanked the Ministry of Tourism and the Government of Sierra Leone for granting them such an opportunity and that the bond will continue to grow.