‘HOMOFEST to be vehicle for international tourism’
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts plans to use the Homogeneous Festival (HOMOFEST) as a vehicle to boost international tourism.
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At the climax of the third edition of HOMOFEST in Accra last Saturday, the sector minister, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said the festival would not only be used to drive domestic tourism but also to boost international tourism by projecting the rich and diverse Ghanaian culture as well as creative talents of the people of Ghana.
HOMOFEST 2016 colourfully displayed diverse Ga-Dangbe culture on the theme, “My Festival Rocks.”
The festival was instituted by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts as part of measures to promote domestic tourism.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare noted that, “Cultural diversity flourishes within a framework of democratic pluralism, tolerance and mutual respect among people of various cultures.”
Restore Ghanaian culture
HOMOFEST offers the chiefs and people of Ga-Dangme one big platform to showcase their rich and diverse culture and creative arts potential to both the local and international community for socio-economic development.
The minister stated that HOMOFEST had become a tool to create jobs and income opportunities while promoting unity and conserving cultural values in Ghana.
“Results obtained from the evaluation of the 2014 and 2015 HOMOFEST celebration indicated that significant jobs were created and incomes generated by businesses operating in the formal and informal sectors in the region,” she said.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare noted that the unique characteristic of HOMOFEST was to reconstruct Ghanaian history, which the younger generations nearly threw away for foreign cultures and values.
The minister appealed to the Regional House of Chiefs, traditional councils, the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, religious bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the ministry to develop the cultural resources for the benefit of the present as well as future generations.
Some participants carrying food items to the durbar grounds
‘We need Peace’
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, stated that the symbol of oneness and love shown at the festival was a testament of the unity that prevailed among the Ghanaian people.
He urged individuals to bury their differences because “divided we fall, together we stand.”
The minister commended the Ministry of Tourism and the chiefs for their continued efforts to promote tourism
He called on Ghanaians to support the electoral commissioner to organise a credible and peaceful election.
The festival featured a series of activities, including a colloquium which projected the traditional values and beliefs of the Ga-Dangbe, food competitions (Kpatashie) to showcase the preparation and presentation of food and beverages of the indigenous ethnic groups, traditional dances and a “Miss HOMOFEST” pageant.