Tourist Information Office

In our quest to rebuild the Tourism Industry in Sierra Leone the National Tourist Board decided to construction an office along the Lumley Beach in order to provide a central point for disseminating of information and at the same time provide security to the general public with a focus on beach users and visitors.

Part of the Tourist Information Office was allocated to the Sierra Leone Police, in order for us to collaborate in terms of ensuring safety and security throughout the perimeter of Lumley Beach.

The tourist information office is a centre for disseminating information to visitors and beach users. The centre also serves as a point of highlighting complaints, selling of post cards, and other related documents on Tourism information.

Beach Wardens

Considering the influx of beach users over the past decade, the Board decided to establish an appropriate Security network, by deploying Beach Warden through the length and breath of Lumley Beach.

As the number of Beach users increase so the commercial activities increases and the safety and security of the beach goers becomes a serious concern. This prompted the Board to establish the Beach Warden Scheme in 2002 starting from Lumley Beach Area, hence the recruitment of personnel.

The Beach Wardens work in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police, patrol the entire beach on a Twenty-Four hours basis daily to ensure that the lives and properties of beach goers and indeed the general public are protected through out their stay along the beach. Other crime related activities such as the removal of sand from the beach for construction purposes, drug abuse etc. are strictly monitored by the Beach Wardens and cases reported to the Police through the Tourism Information Centre and Police Post located along the Lumley Beach for a more professional interrogation and prosecution.

Presently, there are Twelve (12) Beach Wardens along the Lumley Beach ensuring that the beach becomes risk-free and minimizes crime rates. Beach Wardens are dressed in navy blue jeans and sky blue long sleeve shirts.

Life Guards

Due to the alarming rate of reported drowning along the Lumley Beach during weekends and festive occasion, the Board decided to erect (6) six Observation Towers to be mend by Life Guards. The six (6) Observation Towers were partly funded by the some commercial houses and the Board. The following commercial houses provided part of the fund for the erection of some observation towers:

• Sierra Leone National Petroleum Company
• Sierra Leone State Lottery Company Limited
• Freetown Colds Storage Company Limited

Other Observation Towers are to be constructed along some of our prime beaches.

Under the life Guard Scheme, assistance are provided to beach user and members of the general public along the beach to ensure that cases of drowning are at their barest minimum. The life Guards are equipped with appropriate equipments such as Communication Handsets, Life Jackets, public address system and Binoculars.

The life Guards can be seen in yellow t-shirt and short trousers. Swimmers   must observe instruction relating to when and where to swim.

Beach Combers

The increased use of the Lumley Beach by the general public has had its attendant problems such as overcrowding, pollution, garbage disposal and debris control. In responding to these problems especially during and after festive occasions (Christmas, New Year, Easter etc) the Board swiftly organised the Beach Combers Scheme and recruited personnel to clean the Lumley Beach on a daily basis rather than the usual method of contracting people to perform the same function.

The activities of the Beach Combers in the cleaning of the beach have improved considerably ensuring that the beach is more environmentally friendly and free of all health and sanitary hazards

The provision of Toilets and Shower facilities along the Lumley Beach has greatly minimized the unethical and rampant use of the area as a sewage dumping ground usually carried out by the general public and beach goers. In view of the above sanitary and environmental problem that the lack of basic facilities has caused, the National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone constructed three (3) structures of public toilets and shower facilities.

The services provided by these facilities have proved to be such a necessity that their usefulness cannot be over emphasized.

The three (3) public toilets and shower facilities are open to the public from 10:00a.m to 8:00p.m seven days a week. Basic toiletries are provided to each user. Tickets are sold at a reasonable cost of Le 500.00 (Five Hundred Leones) only. Funds generated from the gate takings are used judiciously to upkeep the facilities. In order to properly maintain and to ensure that basic environmental sanitation and ethical code are enforced along the Lumley Beach, the Board has erected signboards at strategic points on the beach side along the road.

Public Toilets

The provision of Toilets and Shower facilities along the Lumley Beach has greatly minimized the unethical and rampant use of the area as a sewage dumping ground usually carried out by the general public and beach goers. In view of the above sanitary and environmental problem that the lack of basic facilities has caused, the National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone constructed three (3) structures of public toilets and shower facilities.

The services provided by these facilities have proved to be such a necessity that their usefulness cannot be over emphasized.

The three (3) public toilets and shower facilities are open to the public from 10:00a.m to 8:00p.m seven days a week. Basic toiletries are provided to each user. Tickets are sold at a reasonable cost of Le 500.00 (Five Hundred Leones) only. Funds generated from the gate takings are used judiciously to upkeep the facilities. In order to properly maintain and to ensure that basic environmental sanitation and ethical code are enforced along the Lumley Beach, the Board has erected signboards at strategic points on the beach side along the road.

All the signboards contain the same body text advising beach goers and the general public to strictly abide by the codes of conduct stated.

Lumley Beach Arts & Crafts Centre

The National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone now owns an arts and craft centre along the Lumley Beach, constructed by United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). Various artefacts and other cultural items can be purchased as souvenirs.

Post-Cards

Postcards produced by the Board and other private Individuals can be obtained at the Tourist Information Centre Lumley Beach, Supermarkets, Post Office etc.

Development Aid and Incentive

As a means of encouraging any individual into developing and promoting the Tourism Industry, the Board though it recommendation to the appropriate authority grants custom duty concession for investors undertaking construction of Hotels, Guest Houses, Motels and other Entertainment operations. This is in keeping with the provision in the Development of Tourism Act 1990.