This is followed by a more interactive SWOT analysis where strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the cluster are discussed among the stakeholders in a participatory way so as to outline a direction for future that is shared by the key stakeholders. These are supplemented by more technical (and objective) analyses – the two undertaken in this report are Competitive Positioning analysis and Porter Diamond analysis. Once the key areas of intervention are identified, and a short/medium-term direction is agreed upon, more advanced analytical tools should be performed including value chain analysis, market trend analysis, and an institutional accounting for skills and infrastructure.

Most of the data in this initial exercise was combined with attempts of the cluster convening process itself. Information was obtained either through individual consultations or informal focus group discussions in Freetown, Western Peninsula and an upcountry destination Kenema known as the gateway to the mining towns. This was supplemented by a survey carried out among the tourism entrepreneurs before and during the mission. The findings of the survey were validated through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. During the course of analysis, a thorough review was carried out of both published and unpublished writings on tourism, hospitality, transport and communication, human resources development, infrastructure building, as well as on natural endowments such as geography, history and culture.

The purpose of the analysis is to fill the existing knowledge gap as well as develop a common platform among tourism entrepreneurs to engage more effectively on policy and operational issues by responding to the questions like: What are the binding constraints that are barring an inflow of FDI and local investment in the tourism sector despite its locational and cultural charms? Are there issues in the functioning of the factor markets? Are sound incentive framework, business enabling environment and infrastructure in place? Is there an effective public-private dialogue in place to address bottlenecks on supply of quality public goods such as market promotion, R&D, information dissemination, effective certification of standards on health, labor, safety and environment? Are there coordination issues within the private sector that is holding back investment and a take-off of the tourism sector?

# **6. A Tourism Cluster Mapping**

The cluster mapping exercise revealed a surprisingly small and non-diverse set of industry participants who form the tourism cluster. At the nucleus of the tourism cluster in Sierra Leone was: (i) the hotel and restaurant owners, (ii) airlines representatives and agents, and (iii) transport operators who connect tourists from airport to town and on to a few upcountry destinations (see green boxes in Figure 2). What was missing was the participation of those who operate and maintain tourist attraction sites such as the curators and owners of museums, operators of sports, cultural and entertainment activities, etc. The choice of food, accommodation and logistics itself was rather limited and there was very little competition among the service providers.

It was also notable that there was a full set of national and international formal institutions to regulate and advise the tourism sector (see blue boxes in Figure 2). A separate Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourist Board carried out a series of regulatory and supervisory tasks. The Ministry of Tourism was a relatively small ministry with only 22 staff and resources only sufficient for administrative tasks. Currently, National Tourism Board (NTB) has been offering 8