Monrovia – The heavy downpour of rain in some parts of Monrovia and its environs on Saturday could not stop Liberia National Tourism Association (LINTA) and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC), as well as the pro wildlife conservation group, the Forestry Development Authority, Forestry Training Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency, and several of its partners including Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, and other conservation organizations from celebrating World Tourism Day in styles.
World Tourism Day is commemorated each year on 27 September. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.
The event for the first time celebrated as a major event in Liberia, was observed with a grand parade and festival displaying Liberia’s rich cultural, biodiversity and ecotourism values. The organizers defied the rain and paraded through the major streets of Monrovia with float cars decorated with colorful designs of the country’s wildlife as well as its arts and crafts.
The celebration was climaxed with an ‘Open Market Fair and Festival’ at the Paynesville City Hall where domestic businesses and vendors displayed “Made in Liberia” products and also amplified the image of Liberia through fashion, interactive activities, music and food, among others.
The fair also showcased unique styles and cuts of Liberian fashion designs, including traditional country clothes. Arts and crafts were also on display as books authored by Liberians and sculptors of some of the wildlife species and traditional symbols in Liberia were on sale. Traditional symbols and cultural performers and mask dancers, representing each of the 15 counties were also on displayed at the festival.
Conservation Takes Center Stage
Meanwhile, for the first time, the ecotourism potential of Liberia’s nature and wildlife took center stage at the celebration as the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, which mission is to enhance the survival of the remaining wild chimpanzee populations, brought together key nature conservation actors to form part of the occasion.
“Liberia needs investment that can support tourism, and ecotourism specifically, has a great opportunity”, said James Desmond, Co-founder of Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection (LCRP), the country’s first and only sanctuary for orphaned chimps.
Liberia, with the largest forest cover (about 4.3 million hectares) in the Upper Guinea Forest found in West Africa is rich in biodiversity and among the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world. But human induced actions such as mining, logging, unregulated farming and hunting pose serious threats to these plants and animal species, some of which are only found in Liberia.
According to Desmond, through the conservation of the country’s rich biodiversity, especially the wildlife species, ecotourism will boost Liberia’s fledging tourism industry and spur economic growth.
“Liberia is a really important country for conservation. It is the last place in West Africa that still has lot of forest and wildlife. People would love to come to the country to see the beautiful animals that live here, like the chimpanzees, elephants, pangolin and the pygmy hippopotamus.”
Speaking further, he said when the rightful infrastructures are put in place, Liberia’s beautiful landscape including its protected areas, and beaches would make it a major tourism destination.
“Tourism is a multibillion dollar industry. I think the best thing all Liberian want is to have a job and take care of their family and tourism can help with that without depleting natural resources and destroying the environment.”
Joining the celebration, was a group of market women who sell bushmeat. With the help of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation and the Forestry Development Authority, who are providing training and monthly stipends, supported by a project funded by the European Union, these women have agreed to abandon the bush meat trade, which is illegal according to Liberian laws and one of the major causes leading to the rapid decline of wildlife population in Liberia. It is also exposing Liberians and other nations to the risk of contracting zoonotic diseases, some of which may be as dangerous as the corona virus. Out of 24 community volunteers who are part of the program, already 4 abandoned the bush meat business and are now selling dried fish or other goods.
“Our partners are encouraging us to leave the dry meat business. They told us that the forest is spoiling and the hunters are also contributing to it by killing the animals. So, as leaders of the dry meat sellers, we have agreed to stop selling,” says Sonnie Kerkulah, neatly dressed in a green T-shirt and cap.
But Ms. Kerkulah says, to successfully convince all of her colleagues, the government and partners should give more support in the form of financial compensation to them.
“Most of us are single mothers and we’ve been doing this business for years. It is what we do to feed our children and send them to school. So, to tell us to just leave it, something should be done for us so we can start new businesses,” she pleaded.
“We don’t have physical cash. The people bring the meat and we take it from them with the agreement to sell and pay later,” adds Mamie K. Lewis of Duala Market on the Bushrod Island.
“Sometimes we can’t pay back and we become indebted to them. So, if we are dropped from selling, we will be affected. We are willing to leave the market. But we need to be settled.”