Yet the significance of the walkway reaches far beyond its impressive height and scale. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and implemented by Tacucagma Chimpanzee Sanctuary the initiative represents a strategic investment in sustainable tourism, one that places nature, local enterprise and economic opportunity at the centre of the visitor experience.

Reimagining Sierra Leone as a nature-based destination

Sierra Leone has long possessed the ingredients of a world-class tourism destination: dramatic mountains, tropical forests, remarkable wildlife, vibrant cultural traditions and an extensive Atlantic coastline.

The Tacugama Canopy Walkway adds a distinctive experience to that offering.

Located within the Western Area Peninsula’s forest landscape, Tacugama is internationally recognised for its work to protect and rehabilitate chimpanzees. The sanctuary has also become an important platform for environmental education, research and advocacy on the threats facing Sierra Leone’s forests and wildlife.

The new walkway will allow visitors to engage with that environment in a more immersive way. Rather than viewing the forest from a distance, they will be able to move through its upper layers, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the canopy.

This type of experience can help reshape perceptions of Sierra Leone, presenting the country not only through its history, but through its potential as a competitive destination for eco-tourism, adventure and responsible travel.

For Tacugama founder Bala Amarasekaran, the walkway is part of a wider conservation effort. He describes UNDP as a valuable partner in protecting the Western Area forest over the past two years, including through funding for the canopy initiative.

His point is simple: without the forest, there is no canopy experience. The attraction depends on the trees, wildlife and landscape around it. Giving visitors another reason to enter and appreciate that environment also creates an opportunity to explain why it must be protected.

Amarasekaran sees the walkway as more than a place for recreation. The additional income it is intended to generate could help sustain Tacugama’s work and support further conservation initiatives. Each visit offers a chance to connect the experience of enjoying the forest with the responsibility of safeguarding it.

That is the ambition behind UNDP’s support: to help develop a tourism experience whose value is tied to the continued protection of Sierra Leone’s natural heritage.

Tourism that protects what people come to see

That ambition is shared by UNDP. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Resident Representative Fredrick Ampiah said:

“The Tacugama walkway will enhance conservation of the ecosystem, create direct and indirect benefits for communities, and place Sierra Leone firmly on the map of global eco-tourism.”

As the walkway prepares to welcome visitors, the next chapter will be about putting that ambition into practice: sustaining the forest, involving neighbouring communities and developing opportunities linked to the visitor experience.

Nature-based tourism presents an important opportunity, but its success depends on protecting the ecosystems that attract visitors in the first place.

The forests surrounding Tacugama provide habitats for wildlife, support biodiversity and contribute to the ecological resilience of the Western Area Peninsula. They also help regulate water, protect soil and reduce the environmental pressures faced by nearby communities.

The canopy walkway therefore carries an important message: Sierra Leone’s natural assets are not separate from its development ambitions. They are central to them.

By creating an experience built around the forest, the initiative demonstrates how conservation can generate social and economic value. It encourages visitors to see the landscape not simply as scenery, but as a living system whose future depends on collective action.

This connection between people and planet reflects UNDP’s wider commitment to advancing human development while easing pressure on the natural environment.

From a visitor attraction to an economic ecosystem

The economic potential of the walkway extends beyond ticket sales.

A new flow of visitors can stimulate demand for guides, transport services, accommodation, food, crafts, photography and other locally provided experiences. With the right partnerships and community participation, the walkway can support a wider tourism ecosystem that creates opportunities for young people, women-led businesses and entrepreneurs in surrounding communities.

It can also strengthen the appeal of Freetown and the Western Area Peninsula as a multi-day destination. Visitors could combine Tacugama with the capital’s history, coastline, mountains and cultural attractions—creating longer stays and broader economic benefits.

This is where sustainable tourism becomes a development pathway: when an individual visitor’s experience contributes to local livelihoods, strengthens conservation financing and helps build a more diversified economy.

Built through partnership

The canopy walkway project began with a groundbreaking ceremony in August 2025, bringing together UNDP, Tacugama and national stakeholders around a shared vision for sustainable tourism and biodiversity conservation.

For government leaders, Tacugama’s future rests on protecting the very heritage that draws visitors to it. At the groundbreaking, Environment Minister Jiwoh Abdulai urged its preservation for generations to come, while Deputy Tourism Minister Kadijatu Grace Kamara saw the walkway as an invitation for visitors to experience Sierra Leone’s natural beauty for themselves.

Its completion demonstrates what can be achieved when development institutions, conservation organisations, public authorities and communities work towards a common objective.

For UNDP, the initiative reflects a broader effort to support solutions that connect environmental protection with inclusive economic growth. It recognises that sustainable development is not achieved through isolated interventions, but through investments that deliver multiple benefits across communities, economies and ecosystems.

Sierra Leone: from a new perspective

When the walkway opens in October, its first visitors will step into more than a new tourism attraction. They will enter a space where adventure meets environmental awareness, and where the excitement of standing above the forest carries a deeper appreciation of what lies below.

For Sierra Leone, the opening will represent a visible statement of possibility: that its forests can be protected while creating livelihoods; that tourism can grow without losing sight of sustainability; and that the country’s natural heritage can command a prominent place in how it presents itself to the world.

The view from Tacugama will undoubtedly be spectacular.

But the most important thing visitors may see is Sierra Leone’s potential.

This October, the forest is calling, and for the first time, the journey begins above the trees.

Media Contact:
Tanya Honnah
Communication & Partnership Analyst
tanya.honnah@undp.org