Culture conundrum
When in 2013, the Ministry of Tourism was renamed Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Industries, more than a few eyebrows were raised.
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For many tourism practitioners though, the addition of culture only reflects a specific direction. It must be noted, however, that not everyone was at ease. For some curious reasons when the word ‘culture’ is mentioned in Ghanaian society, the general impression that is evoked is drumming, dancing and maybe something ‘fetish’.
For many, the phrase ‘It is our culture’ could only conjure images of archaic practices and implements handed down from generations of traditional life. On account of this, there tends to be a certain level of inhibition and even aversion to the idea of being ‘cultural.’
Perhaps, one could blame the word itself for these reactions. The challenge with ‘culture’ is that it is so broad that it lends itself readily to all sorts of interpretations. Add the odd misunderstanding that folks inevitably bring to concepts and you’d realise that this is one word that has been treated unfairly, especially in Ghanaian society.
But before we go much further let us relate culture within the material circumstances of tourism. To begin with, tourism culture is a major element, with other products including beach, wildlife and events.
Globally, culture is one of the biggest revenue generators for the tourism industry.
As a segment, it involves a range of experiences, traditions, processes, events and places that relate to the customs and uniqueness of a given people. The cultural group of attractions includes sites of historical, political or religious importance. Museums, markets, palaces and modern cultural and educational institutions are also included.
Define it whichever way you may, the culture of a people critically has its very own DNA. And in a world that is becoming smaller and smaller, people are getting to know other people more easily. Additionally, progress in technology has made travelling around the globe faster and cheaper.
The proliferation of instant media has also worked to inform and tease people who can go out there and see new places. This of course implies meeting new people.
Currently, in the world, culture is the fastest-growing sector for tourism. Consistently, at the global and regional levels, ministers of tourism and ministers of culture have met to discuss the immense potential of working together to build inclusive economic growth, social development and cultural preservation.
These conferences are organised by bodies such as the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). At these platforms, policymakers, experts and practitioners have to identify the opportunities and challenges of developing new partnership models that engage culture and tourism stakeholders at all levels in order to address shared responsibilities.
Nothing concretises the relationship between culture and tourism as such huge forums do. Indeed, one of the advocacies to member states during the deliberations is that they should consider merging the two ministerial sectors wherever possible.
For Ghana, the culture product is our main attraction. A number of studies have revealed that most tourists who visit the country cite culture as the paramount reason. The Ghanaian culture is described by tourists to be friendly, warm and vibrant.
No wonder one finds tourists in many villages and towns across Ghana sampling the Ghanaian hospitality. Festivals and even funerals are being promoted by tourism agencies as must-sees for these visitors and to locals as well.
With Corporate Ghana jumping on board to sponsor festivals, many people flock there in their numbers to have a good time, and also to get a good dose of culture. What better way to imbibe these values than by being there in the birthplace of these values?
In other words, when you see folks engaged at a festival, they are consuming a cultural tourism product. Culture is also important to Ghana’s tourism development because it is usually an element in the official tagline for marketing the tourism industry. An example is: “Ghana- Culture Warmth and Much More’’ which has been used to advertise the nation’s drive to attract the tourist dollar.
If culture is this important to our tourism why aren’t we doing enough to maximise the potential? Why isn’t there a tourism boom? Above all why do sections of Ghanaian society cringe when they hear the word ‘culture’?