Bentsifi’s Tattle: Of 15 years celebrations, a domestic tourism fiesta
That concept of ‘Sankofa’ is such a potent one. Nothing is lost when you practice ‘Sankofa’. You just gain what you omit to do. Like omitting to dance last January in celebration of 15 years since I started this conversational journey here with you. Yes! This year, we chalk a celebratory 15 solid years of Bentsifi's Tattle!
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My first article for this column, I believe, was in January 2008. I remember I talked about the bouyant celebration that was happening across town from the street parties and parades to the jubilation at fan parks during the CAN 2008 soccer tournament. I remember having to drive slowly and cautiously behind a small group of young celebrants on the Kanda Highway in Accra one day as I was going home.
The folk were happy, with whistles and vuvuzelas, just singing ‘jama’ and marching along on the street causing a traffic tailback.
Caught in the heat of it, us drivers just had to go along and get in tune with the singing by honking rhythmically. No need to feel any frustration! You'd only heighten your already high blood pressure. One just had to go with the flow. Even if you had to be at an urgent meeting, the other party would understand if you were caught up in such a situation and were late. It was a time that pulled the nation together in celebration. Not necessarily because we were winning the soccer tournament, no! But because, we had the spotlight on us as hosts, welcoming the world to Ghana and showing off our happy disposition.
That's the energy of life that excites me! How, as a people we can exude emotions that trigger others to feel as we do. This is so necessary in us building up the momentum of our domestic tourism. See how, lately, all the photos we have of all those agile young folk at our tourist attractions on social media urge us on to feel like getting up and joining in too. And why wouldn't you!
Our domestic tourism is about to get on to another whole level now that we are settling in post COVID. It's amazing how the pandemic precipitating the whole domestic tourism movement, got so many young people coming out as "travelprenuers"!
But, I've said it before, and I repeat. The chaff will soon fall off, and the substantial enterprises that are providing thoughtful and immersive brand Ghana tourism experiences, like cream, will rise to the top.
After all these decades of being a crusader for the wonders of Ghana, using my deep passion for writing and hospitality to highlight some of our hidden gems of tourism, I feel proud to have come this far.
There is much for me to celebrate. From the early days at The Ghanaian Chronicle, when I started writing and pointing to the direction of our attractions and destinations in my first colum, Bentsifi's Dairy, to opening the first citywide tourist information centre - the Ghana Tourism Board approved Accra Visitor Center on Ring Road Central (circa 1998 - 2008) to this column and all the WangoWango escapades with Joy FM, it's been a journey!
There are many 'thank yous' to give, but let me mention the Ghana Tourism Authority, by whose courtesy I get many doors open to be able to bring you the content I do for this column!
The adventure hasn't ended. There's more to come. More gist as content for Bentsifi' Tattle and we are forging ahead to work together with the entire tourism ecosystem to promote a travel culture that will ensure we build a healthy domestic tourism movement here in Ghana. A movement that will see our domestic tourism take on an economic development impact within our communities.
That is the goal. In 2020, I launched the Do Ghana Travel Festival as part of a domestic tourism campaign to drive this dream. This year, we will return with another festival season to be noted as 'Staycay September'! A month long roll out of activities and activations to celebrate and prioritise what is inherently ours! Our own cultural heritage, and bring about that euphoria we experienced during those CAN 2008 days!
For it is only when we show the world how happy we are with our lot, that the world will in turn, want to come over and celebrate with us!
So, here's to the next 15 years! Here's to the Graphic Group for giving me opportunity to come into your space with my content all this while. Stay tuned, we have more exciting days ahead.