Sierra Leone to Amplify Youth Leadership on Global Tourism Resilience Day 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica; Wednesday, February 4, 2026: Jamaica and Sierra Leone have reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing global tourism resilience, youth leadership and Africa-Caribbean tourism cooperation, following a special meeting hosted yesterday (February 3) by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, alongside Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Hon. Nabeela Tunis.
The meeting, held at Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism in New Kingston, examined Sierra Leone’s plans to observe Global Tourism Resilience Day 2026 on February 17 with a youth-focused seminar at the University of Sierra Leone, placing young people at the centre of global conversations on resilience, identity and development. The engagement forms part of Sierra Leone’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of Culture and Creativity.
Minister Bartlett again welcomed Minister Tunis to Jamaica and highlighted the deeper significance of her visit, noting that it went beyond diplomacy to reconnect Africa and the Caribbean through shared heritage and forward-looking collaboration.
“Her visit is not only about bilateral relations, but about reconnecting with the roots of our own diaspora,” Minister Bartlett said. “It continues to emphasise the relationship between the mother continent Africa and the Caribbean, and our commitment to building tourism capacity, resilience and institutional strength across the globe,” he added.
Minister Bartlett further underscored Jamaica’s leadership in resilience, recalling the country’s role in securing United Nations recognition of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually in 2023. He confirmed that the first international observance outside Jamaica will be hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 17, 2026, with multiple countries activating events worldwide on the same day.
“We are very proud to announce that the first global celebration outside Jamaica will be in Nairobi, Kenya, but Sierra Leone will also add its voice in a meaningful way,” Bartlett noted.
Minister Tunis expressed solidarity with Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa and praised the country’s resilience-driven recovery, while outlining Sierra Leone’s decision to centre its observance on youth empowerment.
“Young people are not products of crisis; they are builders of our future. By hosting this seminar at the University of Sierra Leone, we are creating space for students and young people to speak about what resilience means to them and how it shapes the future global discourse,” Minister Tunis said.
She added that at least 300 young people are expected to participate and expressed confidence that the observance would evolve into a lasting, impactful initiative. Minister Tunis also confirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to legacy projects, including land already allocated for a Jamaican Cultural Village in Sierra Leone.
In a major additional announcement, Minister Bartlett revealed plans to establish the first Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) satellite location in West Africa, to be inaugurated in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during his attendance at the One Nation Reggae Festival in November 2026.
Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller, welcomed Sierra Leone into what he described as the global “ecosystem of tourism resilience,” noting that the Centre’s work spans climate resilience, entrepreneurship, wildlife tourism, heritage, geopolitics and emerging cyber threats.
“Tourism is not just a conversation or a wealth generator for a few. It is a development tool – one that creates jobs, supports livelihoods, drives foreign investment and transforms economies. Protecting and enhancing tourism is therefore essential,” he stressed.
Prof. Waller also shared that the 2026 Global Tourism Resilience Day observance will be a first-ever 24-hour global event, moving across regions from the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and North America, and streamed globally.
Minister Bartlett reinforced the transformational power of tourism, noting its central role in Jamaica’s economic evolution. “Tourism has become the successor bedrock economic activity to sugar. It has done what sugar could not, transforming sleepy villages into major commercial centres like Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril. Because its vulnerabilities are known, its resilience must be celebrated,” Bartlett said.
The Sierra Leone youth-focused observance will follow Jamaica’s own Youth & Career Expo, jointly hosted by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) on February 13, further reinforcing youth engagement as a cornerstone of tourism resilience.
