Two Days With Wodemaya: Liberia’s Creators Take on the Art of Storytelling

MONROVIA, LIBERIA — For two days in Paynesville, the conversation around Liberia’s tourism future shifted from destinations themselves to the people increasingly responsible for showing them to the world.

Content creators and travel storytellers gathered on August 13 and 14 for the Wode Maya Free Masterclass, a two-day programme organised around digital storytelling, audience building and the growing influence of creators in shaping how countries and destinations are seen online.

Led by renowned Ghanaian travel creator Wode Maya, the masterclass brought participants face-to-face with lessons drawn from his journey building one of Africa’s most recognisable digital travel platforms.

The first day opened to content creators from across Montserrado, with discussions covering storytelling, content creation, personal branding, audience growth, monetisation and the practical realities of building a presence in an increasingly competitive digital space.

But the conversations went beyond gaining followers.

At the centre of the masterclass was a larger question: Who tells Liberia’s story, and how can Liberian creators play a greater role in shaping that narrative?

For a country with beaches stretching along the Atlantic coast, rainforests, waterfalls, cultural traditions, historic sites and a growing surf destination in Robertsport, the challenge is not simply having places worth visiting. It is ensuring those places are consistently documented, packaged and presented to audiences at home and abroad.

That placed storytelling at the heart of the discussions.

Creators were encouraged to look beyond simply recording what they see and instead build stories around people, communities, culture and experiences — content capable of giving audiences a reason to discover Liberia for themselves.

Participants also engaged directly with Wode Maya, asking questions and drawing on his experience travelling across the continent and using digital media to challenge long-standing perceptions of Africa.

Travel creators take centre stage

The second day narrowed the focus to travel creators, examining their role in promoting Liberia as a destination and turning local experiences into stories capable of reaching international audiences.

Discussions explored how creators can showcase destinations more effectively, strengthen their digital platforms and build communities around their work while maintaining an authentic voice.

A panel discussion brought together voices from the creative space to share experiences and examine some of the opportunities and challenges facing travel storytellers.

The conversation reflected a changing tourism landscape in which a short video, photograph or personal travel story published from Liberia can reach audiences thousands of kilometres away within hours.

That shift gives creators influence that once belonged largely to traditional tourism advertising.

For Liberia, which is working to strengthen its position within West Africa’s tourism market, that influence could become increasingly important. The Liberia National Tourism Authority has identified content creators, bloggers and influencers as part of the wider effort to change perceptions of the country and bring greater visibility to its tourism offerings.

The masterclass therefore represented more than two days of training. It highlighted an emerging relationship between tourism development and digital storytelling — one in which creators can become part of how destinations are discovered, understood and ultimately experienced.

Liberia’s tourism story is still being written. Its next chapter may not be told only through billboards, brochures or international advertising campaigns. It could also be told through the cameras, phones and voices of Liberians documenting their own country.

The two-day masterclass was supported by Empowerment Squared and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), with the Liberian Learning Center serving as venue partner.

And as the sessions came to an end, one message stood out: Liberia does not lack stories worth telling.