Liberia is at a pivotal point, with significant cultural and natural assets that position it as a potential hub for tourism and investment. To realize this potential, the country should prioritize immediate reforms in infrastructure, transparency in governance, and security. Addressing these areas will strengthen Liberia’s competitiveness and lay the groundwork for strategic progress. This analysis evaluates Liberia’s readiness to attract visitors and investors and recommends key changes for future growth.
President Joseph Boakai recently enacted the Liberia National Tourism Act, establishing the Liberia National Tourism Authority (LNTA) to promote and regulate tourism. He emphasized leveraging Liberia’s cultural heritage and natural beauty to attract visitors, empower local businesses, and create jobs.
Princess Cooper, head of the LNTA, stressed that effective tourism development requires collaboration and strategic partnerships across government sectors. She identified key challenges, including infrastructure gaps, limited hospitality facilities, a shortage of trained tourism professionals, and inadequate road connectivity to attractions.
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I agree with Ms. Cooper that political, economic, security, environmental, and legal stability are essential for tourism to drive investment. Without these, visitors and investors will look elsewhere. The government should pursue governance reforms that deliver quick, visible results. Strengthening the existing independent anti-corruption commission with clear, transparent mandates would help build trust. A national infrastructure improvement plan focused on key tourist areas can demonstrate commitment and boost investor confidence. Launching a pilot project to improve road connectivity to major attractions and increasing maintenance funding are also critical. Additionally, a training initiative for hospitality workers would enhance service quality and signal Liberia’s readiness to welcome international visitors.
Although Liberia offers a rich cultural heritage and attractions, investors and visitors prioritize political stability, robust infrastructure, reliable services, security, environmental cleanliness, and the rule of law. The government must address all six PESTEL domains to position Liberia as a leading tourism destination.
To attract foreign visitors, a country must meet several basic requirements:
Political: Stable, democratic governance
Economic: Policies that support trade and investment
Security: Safety and a lower crime rate
Technological: Modern business systems
Environmental: Effective waste management and sanitation
Legal: Transparent, functional rule of law
Which of these requirements would policymakers currently rate below 5 out of 10? This question encourages self-assessment and action. Developing a simple, transparent benchmarking tool would help policymakers track progress, identify gaps, and create a clear roadmap for improvement.
Liberia faces significant challenges in these areas, which are closely scrutinized by potential visitors and investors. Most Western travelers consult the U.S. State Department for travel advisories, which assess each country’s political, economic, legal, security, and environmental conditions. These factors shape perceptions of a country’s viability and hospitality.
For example, the US Department of State’s 2025 Investment Climate Statement on Liberia highlights both tourism potential and major challenges, especially inadequate infrastructure, including unreliable electricity and water. The report identifies poor infrastructure, corruption, weak judicial systems, unpredictable policies, and low human development as significant barriers. Corruption remains a persistent obstacle.
Previously, I compared Liberia to developed nations such as the United States. Here, I focus on Ghana, a West African country that has successfully attracted tourists and foreign investment. Ghana’s role in the Great African Homecoming has drawn many prominent African Americans, including Steve Harvey, Stevie Wonder, and Richelieu Dennis. Rather than viewing Ghana as a competitor, Liberia can learn from Ghana’s replicable model. Ghana’s strategic investments in infrastructure, public-sector reforms, and diaspora engagement offer actionable lessons. Its effective tourism campaigns, such as the Year of Return, and reforms to increase transparency and reduce corruption, have simplified investment processes. Liberia should consider these actions as part of its strategy to attract tourism and investment.
Ghana’s improved infrastructure, governance, and business environment have made it a preferred destination for African Americans seeking to reconnect with their heritage. This raises an important question: why has Ghana succeeded in attracting African Americans, rather than Liberia, especially given Black America’s historical ties to Liberia?
According to TIME, most African Americans did not support the movement to return to Liberia despite historical connections between the Americo-Liberian families and the United States.
Why did prominent figures like Oprah Winfrey, whose DNA traces to the Kpele people of Bong County, not embrace Liberia? Why did she prefer South Africa? Why did Richelieu Dennis, a Liberian-American businessman, choose Ghana over Liberia for his “Essence Full Circle Festival”, which aims to connect the diaspora with Africa? A diasporan visitor, Angela Thompson, shared her emotional journey when visiting Liberia: ‘Standing on the shores of Monrovia, I felt a profound connection to my ancestors but was overwhelmed by the country’s lack of development. The potential is there, but significant strides need to be made to make us feel at home and safe.’ Her testimony, like many others, highlights both the emotional pull and the practical deterrents that affect the decisions of heritage travelers.
The reason is clear: people avoid association with failure. Liberia’s reputation for a lack of seriousness and for favoring mediocrity over meritocracy has persisted since the fall of the First Liberian Republic in 1980. Leadership challenges and systemic issues continue to hinder progress. However, envision a Liberia where opportunities are merit-based, public infrastructure projects inspire young professionals, and transparent systems select the most qualified individuals. Strategic investments could create vibrant cities and a thriving tourism sector, redefining Liberia’s global narrative.
According to a report by FrontPageAfrica, the CEO of Kingdom Business Inc., Mr. L. Swansey Fallah, has accused the Ministry of Health in Liberia of favoritism and irregularities in contract awarding, suggesting that some decisions may favor personal connections over established procedures. These practices undermine public institutions, lead to substandard service, erode public trust, discourage qualified Liberians from government service, and deter foreign investors seeking transparency and meritocracy. A recent analysis estimated that patronage practices have stalled potential investment projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the last decade. (Fund, n.d.) This loss is not just in potential GDP growth but also in opportunities for employment and improved services, illustrating how deeply rooted governance failings translate into monetary terms that investors can instantly comprehend.
According to Africa-Press, recent reforms to the Civil Service Agency have improved financial efficiency, transparency, and accountability in Liberia’s public sector. However, ongoing reliance on patronage continues to impede progress and harm Liberia’s regional reputation. Addressing this is essential for better governance, investment, and public trust.
A comparative analysis of Liberia’s and Ghana’s budgetary priorities reveals important distinctions:
Liberia’s budget is much smaller ($1.2 billion) and heavily weighted toward recurrent expenditure (76.7%), with limited investment in infrastructure and community development through the Public Sector Investment Plan (PSIP). (Liberia’s 2025 National Budget: A Policy Shift Towards Development Spending, 2024) The country faces criticism for allocating substantial funds to debt servicing and officials’ perks, raising concerns about whether the budget serves citizens’ needs. Liberia relies on foreign aid for basic goods and continues to seek international support for long-term projects, raising questions about sustainability and effective governance.
In contrast, Ghana’s budget is much larger (about $31 billion) and focuses on economic growth, job creation, and transformation. (World Bank Provides $300 Million to Ghana to Strengthen Macroeconomic Stability and Support Resilient Economic Growth, 2024) Ghana allocates substantial resources to infrastructure, social programs, and security. The country prioritizes citizen-focused programs such as free education, school feeding, and women’s economic initiatives, with only 30% of recurrent expenditure allocated to salaries and benefits, leaving more for services and development. (2025 Budget: Allocations to Various Sectors and Programmes, 2025) Ghana has been recognized for investing in security and capital projects, such as housing and water treatment plants, and its approach to growth has received positive attention from international auditors such as Deloitte & Touche. (Ghana’s infrastructure development driving economic growth – Africa 2024, 2024) In contrast, according to a report by Africa-Press, Liberia continues to face criticism for its budget, which is hampered by chronic overestimation of revenues, leading to delays in implementation and an ongoing reliance on foreign aid for its revenue projections. (IMF Executive Board Completes the First Review Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for Liberia, 2025) Ghana’s approach is more strategic and citizen-focused, while Liberia’s is marked by underinvestment in development and ongoing governance challenges.
In summary, Ghana’s budget strategy focuses on broad-based development and growth, while Liberia’s is constrained by structural challenges, limited investment, and ongoing concerns about transparency and priorities.
With my background in reputation management and corporate communication, I follow my mentor Sabriye Tenberken’s principle: “show me, don’t tell me.” Attracting tourists and investors is easier with a strong product than with a weak one. Ghana’s visible progress in infrastructure and social services makes it easy to promote. In Liberia, the Robertsport community recently improved beach cleanliness and waste management, attracting more tourists and boosting local business. (News, 2024) Such tangible actions demonstrate that Liberia can also attract tourism with focused effort.
In contrast, Liberian leaders often prioritize personal interests over national development, as reflected in the 2026 national budget. According to allAfrica.com, the government reduced the clean cities budget from US$600,000 in 2023 to US$400,000 in 2024, despite Monrovia’s sanitation crisis. Promoting tourism without addressing core services is ineffective. Liberia must resolve fundamental issues before inviting international visitors.
To drive meaningful change, a collaborative roadmap is needed. The government, the private sector, and the diaspora each play vital roles. The government should commit to transparency and invest in infrastructure essential for tourism and daily life, such as by establishing a tourism infrastructure task force and setting measurable transparency targets within six months. The private sector can develop sustainable tourism models and launch eco-friendly initiatives within the next year. The diaspora should mentor, invest in local businesses, and advocate for Liberia globally, with organizations organizing investment forums and mentorship programs over the next 12 months. These coordinated steps can transform analysis into a shared national development agenda.
About the Writer
Thomas M. Sarko is a Liberian peace advocate committed to promoting sustainable stability in his home country. A graduate of Cathedral Catholic School and the University of Liberia, he served as co-editor of his school’s Press Club and later interned at UNMIL Radio. He subsequently worked as a Public Relations Assistant at the Liberia Electricity Corporation, where he co-produced the institution’s monthly newsletter, The Current.
In 2012, motivated by a desire to help prevent a return to civil conflict, Sarko co-founded Project Peace for Liberia, an initiative that encourages young people to channel frustration through creative expression and the performing arts rather than violence. He relocated to the United States in 2014 and, in 2022, earned a master’s degree in Corporate and Marketing Communication from IE Business School in Madrid.
