Monrovia – When Royda Urey first attended a cane juice festival in Grand Bassa at Elizabeth Village, she immediately saw the potential of what it could mean for a thriving tourism sector in her homeland, Liberia, a nation recognized mostly for its history of war and chaos and rarely for the lighter side of life.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
“It was such a unique experience traveling outside of Montserrado County, something we encourage at LINTA (Liberia National Tourism Association), so it was an easy sell for me,” Royda recalls.
Last week, Royda and a few friends stormed the Kpatawee Waterfalls in Bong County to host the 2023 edition of the annual Sugar Cane Festival.
“Every time I attended the location, company, vibes and more were stellar so when Creative Afrik asked me to be the host this year I was delighted. Although I have visited Kpatawee Waterfalls many times and done a few episodes on it this time I really immersed myself.”
The festival celebrates Liberia’s culture across counties, and is an exposure of Liberian arts – from paintings, to crafts to dance – it is a one day adventure into Liberia’s diverse landscape and culture.
It’s organized by Nykita Garnett
Courtney Renken aka CocoiConic- DJ and will be hosted by Royda “Philimena” Urey, and Cloud Studios will be responsible for photos.
In 2022, the festival was held in Margibi County.
According to Royda Philimena Urey, host of this year’s annual event, Creative Afrik has begun partnerships intended to expand the idea of the festival.
Royda Urey is also hoping to garner support from the Liberia National Tourism Association and the Ministry of Information Cultural Affairs and Touriam for the next edition of the event and beyond.
She said the tourism sector has vast possibilities but many people are hesitant to leave Monrovia due to road conditions and lack of awareness of businesses outside of Montserrado.
“We are hopeful that road conditions will continue to improve and aim to fill the gap of awareness of Liberian businesses and brands nationwide”, she said.
She called on Liberians to embrace their own locally made products and services as an express of support to their culture.
“We must embrace our locally made products and services as an expression of our culture. In many neighboring ECOWAS countries local products and experiences are prioritized by tourists and locals alike because they are easily accessible, supported by the government, well packaged and/or well advertised amongst other factors”, she averred.
Royda Urey said the annual Cane Juice Festival aims at offering potential for the country’s struggling tourism sector.
“It was such a unique experience traveling outside of Montserrado County, something we encourage at LINTA (Liberia National Tourism Association), so it was an easy sell for me,” Royda recalls.