The newly elected Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Shaikha Alnuwais, has pledged strong institutional support for the development of Sierra Leone’s tourism sector following a high-level meeting with President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The meeting marked one of Shaikha Alnuwais’ first official engagements since assuming office as UN Tourism Secretary-General and making history as the first woman to hold the position. Discussions centered on unlocking Sierra Leone’s tourism potential through strategic partnerships, policy alignment and targeted investment support.

During the engagement, the Secretary-General outlined five key strategic priorities that will guide her tenure at UN Tourism: sustainable and responsible growth; digital transformation and data-driven tourism; economic inclusion and local empowerment; infrastructure, connectivity and tourism enablers; and governance, transparency and global trust. She noted that those pillars closely align with Sierra Leone’s development aspirations and provide a practical framework for accelerating tourism-led growth.

Shaikha Alnuwais emphasized that Sierra Leone possesses immense and largely untapped tourism assets, including pristine beaches, rich biodiversity, cultural heritage and historical landmarks. She expressed UN Tourism’s readiness to work closely with the Government of Sierra Leone to design programmes that promote sustainability, empower local communities and strengthen the country’s visibility on the global tourism map.

The Secretary-General also briefed President Bio on her recent engagement with Nabeela F. Tunis, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, commending her for what she described as a visionary and forward-looking approach to sector development. She praised ongoing reforms and initiatives aimed at improving destination branding, tourism governance and private sector participation.

President Bio congratulated Shaikha Alnuwais on her election and welcomed her commitment to supporting Sierra Leone. He highlighted the longstanding and cordial bilateral relations between Sierra Leone and the United Arab Emirates, noting that those ties played a significant role in rallying support for her successful candidacy.

The President underscored tourism as a critical pillar of Sierra Leone’s economic diversification agenda, capable of generating employment, attracting foreign investment and fostering inclusive growth. While acknowledging existing challenges, including infrastructure gaps and capacity constraints, he stressed that enhanced collaboration with UN Tourism would significantly accelerate progress in the sector.

President Bio further praised Minister Nabeela F. Tunis for the notable strides achieved under her leadership, particularly in repositioning tourism as a strategic national priority. He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s full support for the new Secretary-General and pledged his personal commitment to advancing tourism development during her tenure.

Concluding the meeting, Shaikha Alnuwais expressed her intention to visit Sierra Leone in the near future, a move expected to further strengthen cooperation and translate commitments into concrete action on the ground. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/new-un-tourism-secretary-general-meets-president-bio-commits-support-to-sierra-leones-tourism-sector/