DoGhana Travel Festival to ignite domestic tourism

ORGANISERS of DoGhana Travel Festival, Bentsifi, are calling on Ghanaians particularly, those living in urban centres to step out in September to vacation at, or visit any of the country's many tourist destinations which are mostly in rural communities.

The second edition of the festival which comes off in September is set to roll out a series of online, radio, offline and virtual actiivities throughout the month in fresh moves to augment government's efforts to promote the sector.

In addition to all these, there will be a weekly city sightseeing tour of Accra which will take place every Sunday afternoon throughout September.

Using the slogan Sep-Tourism ~ Staycay September and themed Realigning Ghana's Domestic Tourism For Sustainable Community Development, the festival aims to create a platform to deliberate on how to nurture the countless attractive opportunities for leisure, recreation and job creation in all 16 regions.

It will also institute the 'Deep Dive Dialogues' where industry folk get to delve into topics revolving adding value to the tourism mix, and look into the matrix of travel and its determinants alongside fields connected to heritage and culture.

According to a heritage and culture practitioner, Mr Akunu Dake who is a consultant of the festival's planning committee, “never has there been a more poignant time to 'do Ghana.

 "Following the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and it's attendant lockdown and cabin fever, there has been a build up a kaleidoscope of innovative indigenous solutions, and this is what this festival seeks to highlight”, he said.

Welcoming the festival, Prof Kwaku Boakye, Vice Chancellor of Cape Coast Technical University and a seasoned lecturer in tourism management shared his delight.

 "Besides smoothening-out demand fluctuations caused by international tourism, domestic tourism not only energises local economies, it also encourages citizens to know their country better,"

He further noted that, being a middle aged person "the emerging science that proves that tourism (especially domestic) does have tangible therapeutic benefits, makes this festival most timely."

On his part, PaJohn Bentsifi Dadson, founder and curator of the festival explained "with the buzz on prioritising and patronising "locally made, locally loved" brand Ghana experiences alongside conversations, we will use our online touchpoints to leverage the digital plane of social media and blogs to engage audiences with immersive exploits to connect the travel community."

Endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture as well as the Ghana Tourism Authority, together with the private sector, the DoGhana Travel Festival will be pivoted on the axis of progress in the dynamic domestic travel sector, and nurtured to grow organically with a bouquet of content into a powerhouse of inspiration for a nation looking to make culture the cornerstone of its development.