Liberia’s Tourism Sector Urged to Embrace Strategic Investment for Economic Revival
Momentum is building in Liberia for a transformative approach to tourism, as industry leaders and policymakers call for substantial public and private sector investment to unlock the sector’s long-term economic potential. At a landmark one-day Public Policy Dialogue on Tourism, convened at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex, stakeholders from across government, finance, and the travel industry made a unified appeal to elevate tourism from a peripheral concern to a central pillar of national development and unity.
The event, themed “A Review of Liberia’s Tourism Sector for Sustained Economic Growth,” was organized by the Governance Commission (GC) in partnership with the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) and the Liberia National Tourism Authority (LNTA). The dialogue brought together a broad cross-section of policymakers, tourism operators, financial institutions, and development partners, reflecting a growing consensus that tourism can play a catalytic role in Liberia’s economic reawakening.
Participants highlighted that Liberia’s rich cultural heritage and untapped natural attractions—such as Providence Island in Montserrado, the Sand Beach in Grand Kru, and Sarpo National Park in Sinoe County—deserve more robust investment and promotion. They urged the government to empower local counties to drive grassroots tourism development, raising awareness of the country’s hidden gems and enabling communities to benefit directly from tourism growth.
Central to the discussion was the need for public-private partnerships and innovative financing strategies. Presentations from the Liberia Banking Association, the LNTA, and independent sector experts explored topics such as tourism-friendly tax regimes, sector digitization, and governance reform. These themes align with the national government’s broader ARREST Agenda and its commitment to economic diversification and inclusive job creation.
Opening the session, Professor Alaric Tokpa, Acting Chair of the GC Board of Commissioners, delivered a powerful call for tourism to be recognized as a foundational driver of development. “Tourism offers much more than recreation. When properly developed, it can be a catalyst for job creation, cultural interpretation, and community empowerment,” Tokpa stated. “Tourism policy is not a minor issue, but a central pillar of Liberia’s national reawakening and a key to unlocking our development potential.”
Tokpa stressed that Liberia’s complex history and vibrant heritage position tourism as a bridge between past and future, serving as both a tool for national reflection and a means of creating new opportunities. He referenced President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s vision, which places a premium on preserving indigenous cultures and connecting Liberia’s future to the wider African diaspora, from the Caribbean to North America. “Tourism allows us to record the past, celebrate our present, and build a future grounded in job creation and national unity,” Tokpa said, underlining the sector’s power to foster resilience and pride.
Building on this vision, Sianeh S. Juah, Acting Vice Chair of the GC and head of its Public Sector Reform Mandate Area, provided an overview of the sector’s reform journey. She described how the Commission has worked to identify and address barriers to tourism growth, advocating for a more robust and independent regulatory framework. “We soon realized that the existing structure needed strengthening and regulatory leadership,” Madam Juah explained.
She detailed a pivotal Governance Commission-led initiative that proposed extracting the Departments of Culture and Tourism from MICAT to create a dedicated regulatory body for tourism. This culminated in the drafting of a bill in 2014 to establish the Liberia National Tourism Authority (LNTA), a milestone effort developed in consultation with former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. “Even though the LNTA was not established then; however, consultations continued with various actors to build a consensus for its establishment,” Juah added.
Throughout the dialogue, the need for renewed political will, private sector participation, and coordinated leadership was a recurring theme. Stakeholders advocated for targeted investment not only in physical infrastructure but also in human capital, marketing, and digital transformation. They stressed that grassroots initiatives are essential to ensure that tourism’s benefits are widely shared—supporting job creation, local enterprise, and cultural preservation at county and community levels.
Participants also addressed the importance of integrating Liberia’s tourism strategy with broader regional and continental trends. With the global tourism industry valued in the billions, aligning with best practices from across Africa and beyond will be critical to attracting new markets, including heritage travelers from the African diaspora.
The dialogue concluded with a call to action for government and development partners: to prioritize tourism as a tool for economic growth, national identity, and inclusive prosperity. The message was clear—Liberia’s tourism sector holds vast untapped potential, but realizing it will require sustained investment, innovative policy, and collaboration across all levels of society.
For Africa’s travel sector, Liberia’s renewed commitment offers a case study in how targeted reforms, empowered local leadership, and strategic investment can transform underdeveloped tourism assets into engines of economic opportunity and national pride. As the country charts its path forward, the lessons emerging from this policy dialogue are bound to influence tourism strategies and investments across the region in the years ahead.
