Monarchy: Bold, beautiful, let’s explore tourism angle to fullest
Elsewhere, the question has been asked by anti-royalists whether by accident of birth, societies should continue to set above their citizens the unelected few called royals to rule over the majority.
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Whereas the question will always whisk the minds of some, especially the so-called modernists who see monarchs as waste of time and public resources, it is one institution that has defined traditions and has enriched the history of practising countries. Royalty revives and tells the traditions and customs of a people for posterity.
And so as King Charles III of England’s coronation unfolded last weekend live before millions of viewers, the rich history of the British monarchy dating back to centuries was beautifully told.
Coronation
The coronation, as one witnessed on television, captured thousands of people defying that morning’s rain just to be part of the historic occasion.
Reportedly, more than 20 million people tuned in around the globe to watch the event while the country predicted over 30,000 visitors for the coronation fortnight. Definitely there were business gains here. With the millions watching the occasion live, advertisers must have had a field day with their products opened up to the world.
And so as interest heightened, so, one gathers, did also tourism revenue. The coronation opened up the country to tourism opportunities. It has been reported that about 350 million pounds windfall was expected as tourism revenue to boost the economy.
For those countries which are much into royalty therefore, some of the lessons from the coronation are worth carrying forward.
Traditional rulers
In our own country, monarchies represented by our traditional rulers are very much a part of our local development. With our Chiefs and Queen Mothers firmly in control, we can develop and escalate certain practices and traditions to an all high level.
Let us pause for a minute and think about the beautiful and historic occasions at the traditional level that communities can create never ending tourism attractions about.
We have occasions which not only positively impact on tourism but they also serve as unifying force for the people as they come under one umbrella to celebrate tradition and culture.
Across the country, we celebrate colourful festivals each year. These celebrations bring families together as well as locals living in other parts of the country. Some of the high profile festivals are already bringing in tourists but there are other avenues to make them even more glorious.
Talk about Adae Kese festival,
