The Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture (MoTAC) will radically promote investment opportunities in the tourism sector to prospective investors at the upcoming ‘Ghana Carnival’ jamboree.
The carnival, which was last held in 2016 with over 4000 participants, gave very minimal investment platform for sensitization on the country’s economic opportunities to the over 300 expats who visited the country.
However, the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku, at the launch of the 2018 carnival in Accra, explained exclusively to the Goldstreet Business that, this year’s event to take place from July 1-2, 2018, will include a workshop to offer investment prospects to visiting foreign delegations.
In 2016, there were participants from Canada, USA, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, and Colombia among others, but the Ministry and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), at the time, did little in marketing notable investment opportunities particularly in the tourism sector to the visitors.
The event, as expected, rather concentrated solely on funfair, merry-making, and the pageantry of traditional display from different cultures in Ghana and the sub-region.
Mrs. Afeku, however, said this year’s celebration will have an investment promotional campaign targeting those interested in doing business in Ghana.
“The planning committee is still working and we’ll strongly involve GIPC in the event so that, we can have a mini seminar to promote investment prospects both in the tourism and any other sector of the economy, particularly to those from the diaspora,” she said.
The carnival which will be observed under the theme, “Using arts and culture to promote our economy”, is expected to create an environment for domestic tourism through the arts, culture and Ghana’s heritage.
It will also focus on driving investor interest to the tourism sector, particularly in infrastructure facilities at the various tourism attractions.
President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Osu, Nii Kinka Dowuona VI, who chaired the launch ceremony, asked Ghanaians to offer maximum support to the upcoming carnival.
He expressed optimism that, the event, will create avenues for cooks, product vendors, and small and medium businesses.
By Wisdom Jonny-Nuekpe