In a major step towards positioning Sierra Leone as a leading tourism destination in Africa, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Passporter Limited, an internationally recognised digital tourism company, to pilot an AI-powered destination marketing platform.
The partnership supports the Ministry’s vision of transforming tourism into a leading economic diversification sector by strengthening Sierra Leone’s digital presence, improving destination visibility, simplifying travel planning, curating tourism packages, and generating valuable tourism data to inform policy and investment. The three-month pilot will introduce, for the first time, intelligent trip-planning software, big data analytics, and dedicated digital marketing and advertising tools for Sierra Leone’s tourism sector.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Hon. Nabeela Farida Tunis, emphasised that artificial intelligence and data-driven marketing are reshaping the global tourism industry, and Sierra Leone must embrace these innovations to remain competitive. She noted that while the investment is significant, the long-term gains in visitor arrivals, tourism revenue and sector growth are expected to far outweigh the initial costs. She further announced plans to engage tourism and hospitality businesses to support the project’s expansion beyond the pilot phase, recognising them as the primary beneficiaries.
Passporter CEO Diego Rodriguez Royo explained that the partnership followed a recommendation from UN Tourism, reflecting the company’s successful work across Africa, Asia and South America. He said the pilot will integrate Passporter’s AI Trip Planner into the Ministry’s website, increase Sierra Leone’s visibility across key international markets, and build local capacity by training Sierra Leoneans to manage and further develop the platform.
The MoU was signed on behalf of the Ministry by Fatmata Milda Carew, General Manager of the Sierra Leone National Tourist Board, and by Diego Rodriguez Royo, CEO of Passporter Limited.
