The flavour of ‘Made in Salone’ food is beginning to make its mark internationally. As Sierra Leone is set to host UN Tourism’s third Regional Forum on Gastronomy for Africa in 2026, could food tourism – one of the world’s fastest growing tourism categories – offer real opportunities to boost the country’s economy?
Gastronomy or culinary tourism involves learning about, appreciating and consuming food and drink that reflect a destination’s heritage and culture. With 34% of travellers worldwide choosing destinations that appeal to their culinary preferences, the food tourism market is estimated to be worth US$1.1 trillion and predicted to reach US$6.2 trillion by 2033.
Pioneering women
Behind the small but significant surge of interest in Sierra Leone’s unique food heritage is a handful of visionary women, whose innovative approach to local ingredients and traditional recipes has taken Sierra Leonean food to a much wider audience. They include:
- Award-winning Chef Binta, whose contribution to gastronomy, enhancement of local produce and community development was recognised by UN Tourism when she was appointed as a UN Ambassador for Responsible Tourism.
- Miatta Marke, whose Cole Street Guesthouse in Freetown was included in National Geographic’s Best of the World list 2024, as one of 21 restaurants picked by the magazine’s global community of explorers, photographers, writers and editors. With a weekly Saturday pop up at London’s Africa Centre until 24 August 2024, Cole Street is serving its award-winning cuisine to a much wider audience.
- UK-based Maria Bradford, who offers Sierra Leonean-inspired fine dining through her Schwen Schwen brand and pays homage to the country’s food and its history in her recently published cookbook, Sweet Salone.
- Susan Senesie, who left a successful career as a private chef for companies including Hilton, Disney and Barclays, and returned to Sierra Leone to explore the fusion of Sierra Leonean and European recipes through pop ups, private catering and her new street food restaurant.
- Renata Mang-Kaprr Kamara, aka Chef Renata, whose exciting use of ingredients and Afro-fusion cooking style offers up creations such as gari-coated, suya-spiced salmon and chive croquettes.
Annual events – such as the Ma Dengn beach festival, which celebrates Sierra Leonean culture through food, literature, music, fashion and art – have also played a part in the rising appreciation of Sierra Leonean cooking.
Global tourism – in numbers
Recent figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council show the increasing economic importance of the travel and tourism sector. In 2023, it contributed 9.1% to global GDP; an increase of 23.2% from 2022 and only 4.1% below the 2019 level.
The travel and tourism sector across Africa is expected to create 14 million new jobs within the next decade, most of which will go to women, who make up much of the tourism workforce, albeit in low-paid jobs. To ensure that the sector can become a real driver of women’s empowerment, creating opportunities for women’s career progression, entrepreneurship and education and training is essential.
Invest Salone’s role
Invest Salone is a UK funded private sector development initiative which works to encourage investment, generate exports, create jobs and diversify key sectors in Sierra Leone, one of which is tourism. We work with the public and private sector to compile evidence and bring national and international stakeholders together to identify opportunities to improve the tourism sector’s competitiveness. Our work also includes supporting local destination management companies with technical assistance and to attend international travel fairs.
Our published research includes an Insights report on investment opportunities in the tourism sector in Sierra Leone. We research the sector’s investment potential and work with the local and international media and use our own platforms to share and promote information on Sierra Leone’s tourism potential.
As we look ahead to the 2026 Regional Forum on Gastronomy for Africa, we are excited to see what Sierra Leone serves up next.
For more information visit our Resource Bank or get in touch at enquiries@investsalone.com.
