L I B E R I A
Visit Liberia VISIT LIBERIA IS helping to place the country on the regional tourism map. A nation with unspoiled nature, a fascinating history and welcoming culture, there are huge opportunities that Geert Van Dorst, the association’s Founder, is seeking to develop. “The Visit Liberia website came into existence as a result of the lack of structure online when it comes to tourism activities, entertainment, travellers’ tips and other relevant information when you want to visit Liberia,” he tells us. “I noticed this when my wife Olivia Newton and I were searching for things to do.” “There was a void in the online platform and too many fragmented
initiatives that can’t be found easily by the normal surfer on the web, so we wanted to change that with the birth of our website. Sure, it still needs a lot of work and continuous content to make it better and user friendly for the tourists we want to attract to our beautiful country. “Our vision is still to advocate with our Visitliberia.net to show Liberia in a more positive dimension away from the war-ravished country that still lingers on in people’s minds. Our country has taken tremendous steps towards the future to showcase our beauty to the world and welcome everybody to come.” So, what else does Liberia have to offer? Van Dorst took time out to answer some more of our questions.
Africa Outlook (AfO): How has Visit Liberia developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across? Geert Van Dorst (GVD): Sure it hasn’t been an easy task to get all the local stakeholders thinking the same way, but business owners have moved to the forefront to ensure collaboration
GEERT VAN DORST’S RECOMMENDATIONS Libassa Ecolodge – Marschall RLJ Kendeja resort – Kendeja Nana’s Lodge – Robertsport Nimba Reserve Kpatawee Falls Blue Lake – Bomi County Various hotels: Farmington (opposite the airport), Royal Grand Hotel (Sinkor), Hotel Boulevard (Sinkor) and RLJ Kendeja Resort (Kendeja) – this is where you will find high end international cuisine and service. There are also many rooftop bars in Sinkor where there is a great atmosphere at night.
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