Pimampin Yaw Kagbrese V, the Omanhene of Yeji Traditional area has emphasised the importance of expanding the scope of tourism to showcase the rich customs, culture and traditions of the country.
He stated that customs, culture, and traditions, such as cuisine, attire, languages and relationship with nature, were essential components of tourism that showcased the identity of the people.
Pimampin Kagbrese V, also President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs was speaking at the launch of the third edition of the ‘Meko Bono’ festival in Techiman, organised by Bonofie, a Ghanaian event organisation dedicated to promoting the socio-cultural and economic development of the Bono and Bono East Regions through tourism and culture.
This year’s festival, the first to be held in the Bono East Region after two successful editions in Sunyani, was scheduled to take place from Saturday, August 24th to Sunday, September 1st, 2024, in Techiman.
Pimampin Kagbrese V said the tourism sector was contributing significantly to the tourism sector of the economies of various countries around the world, saying as a result nations were investing substantial amounts of money in developing their tourism potential.
He said, in Ghana, the tourism sector was considered the cornerstone of the economy, with the government allocating vast resources to its development, citing the refurbishment of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, which has been attracting thousands of tourists.
He said the Bono Region possessed many tourist attractions that could easily rival those found in other countries. However, the region lacked sufficient publicity to effectively showcase its tourism potential.
Pimampin Kagbrese, therefore, implored the citizens of the Bono region to take pride in the rich heritage handed over to them by their ancestors, while emphasising the importance of preserving and promoting the culture to benefit both current and the future generations.
Mr. Joseph Appiagyei, the Bono East Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, highlighted the significant impact of the ‘Meko Bono’ festival on the region’s tourism sector, saying the festival had not only expanded the tourism base but had also introduced diversity into the region’s tourism contributions.
He emphasised the importance of collaboration between stakeholders and government in developing tourist attraction sites to promote domestic tourism, which was crucial for all parties involved to work together towards enhancement of the tourism experience in the region to attract more visitors.
Mr Appiagyei provided statistics for the first quarter of 2024 patronage at the Kintampo Waterfalls, reporting that a total of 8,268 visitors were recorded between January and March, resulting in gross revenue of GHC 110,755.
He said out of the visitors 1,619 were children representing 20 per cent – 4,742 were students representing 57 per cent – 1,502 adults representing 18 per cent and 405 were foreigners representing five per cent.
Mr Appiagyei noted that the data presented underlined the minimal impact of foreign visitors, highlighting the significance of investing in domestic tourism to drive revenue to promote the growth of the tourism industry in the Region.
From Benjamin Akoto, Techiman
GNA
