LNTA – LISGIS Sign Landmark MOU to Strengthen Liberia’s Tourism Data System
Today, May 26, 2026, we joined the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which aimed at strengthening tourism data collection and enhancing Liberia’s visibility in the global tourism sector.
The purpose of the MoU is to establishment the Liberia Tourism Satellite Account Technical Working Group (TSA-TWG), a framework designed to support the production of credible tourism statistics and reports that will showcase the growth and impact of tourism across Liberia.
Speaking Tuesday during the signing ceremony at LISGIS office in Monrovia, the Director General of LNTA, Princess Eva Cooper, described the MOU as “a turning point for Liberia’s tourism sector, emphasizing, “today we move from estimating to measuring. Tourism is everybody’s business, and now we will have the numbers to prove it,” Hon. Cooper declared.
She thanked LISGIS for its technical leadership and noted that credible data would unlock new investment as the institutions move tourism from the margins to the center of national development planning, stressing the critical role of data in advancing the tourism sector.
“There is no tourism without data, so that makes you a key player in the growth of the tourism sector,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General for LNTA, Dogba K. Norris, highlighted that the Tourism Satellite Account is not just another report stating that It is the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s approved framework that allows a country to measure tourism’s direct contribution to GDP, employment, investment, and tax revenue.
For years, he added that they have underestimated, outlining that the TSA will harmonize data from immigration, hotels, transport, banking, and household surveys to produce annual tourism statistics that meet international standards., as this initiative is the foundation for evidence-based policy.
According to him, for Liberia’s tourism sector to transition effectively from policy to implementation, all relevant institutions must align their roles and responsibilities to produce comprehensive reports that not only track tourist arrivals, but also measure tourism’s economic and social impact on the country.
“We as an institution cannot do that without LISGIS statistics and data collection. That is why we count on your support and collaboration in ensuring that LNTA can achieve this,” Atty. Norris added.
In closing remarks, the Director General of LISGIS, Richard F. Ngafuan, applauded LNTA for the collaboration stating “several months back we had this discussion. It was a technical discussion, and today we are signing.”
The LISGIS boss then recalled earlier collaboration when tourism was still under the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, noting that “even then, we knew data was the missing link, and now that LNTA is established as a standalone authority, LISGIS will work collaboratively to ensure the full operation of the Tourism Satellite Account.”
Hon. Ngafuan pledged technical staff, survey platforms, and geo-information systems to support the TSA, explaining, “Statistics is our mandate. Tourism is our national asset. Together, we will produce numbers that stand up to global scrutiny.”
He noted that the partnership lays a strong foundation for growth and pledged LISGIS’ commitment to building a robust tourism data system for Liberia as he further expressed hope that both institutions will create an integrated statistical system capable of accurately tracking tourism trends and presenting reliable data that reflects the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
