Bono, Bono East launch festival to showcase culture

The chiefs and people in the Bono and the Bono East regions have launched the 2024 homecoming event and festival, dubbed "Meko Bono" (I will go to Bono) in Techiman, the Bono East Regional capital. 

The festival was instituted by some youth in the two regions in 2022 to tell the rich history of the Bonos. Additionally, the festival is intended to showcase the rich culture and project the economic and tourism potentials in the region in a bid to attract investors.

The slogan for the festival is "Bonofie, Bono te ase". The launch was held on the theme: "Promoting Culture and Tourism in the Bono Regions".

Tourist sites

There was a display of both developed and untapped tourism sites in the two regions. They included the Kintampo Waterfalls, the Africa-Shaped Rock at Buoyem, Tanoboase Scared Grove at Tanoboase, the Amoowi Hole and Cave at Pinihini and the Bono Manso Slave Market site.

Others are Busini Poma at Amoma, Forikrom Rocks, Mprisi Grove and Bat Caves at Buoyem, Nchiraa Waterfalls and the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, among others. There were also cultural displays during the launch to welcome and entertain guests who travelled from far and near to participate in the third edition of the event.

The festival is expected to officially commence on Saturday, August 24, 2024, and climax on Saturday, August 31, 2024, with a grand durbar in Techiman. Some of the activities scheduled to mark the homecoming and festival are an exhibition, football competition, health screening, artistes night and the face of Bonofie. 

Customs, traditions

Speaking at the launch last Saturday, the President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, Pimampim Yaw Kagbrese V, said when discussing tourism, it was important to broaden the focus beyond natural attractions such as flora, fauna, mountains, caves and water bodies.

A section of the participants

"Our customs, culture and traditions, including our cuisine, attire, languages and relationship with nature are equally vital aspects of tourism. "Our languages, which are an integral part of our culture, play a crucial role in tourism as they enable us to express our oral traditions," he said.

Pimampim Kagbrese advocated the use of indigenous languages as they were the first gifts from nature. He said it was the responsibility of parents to master the indigenous languages and encourage future generations to learn.

Pimampim Kagbrese urged the citizens of the Bono regions to take pride in the heritage passed down to them by their ancestors. He expressed the need for Ghanaians to preserve and promote their culture in a way that benefited them and future generations who will intend to leave it as a legacy for those to come.

He said the ‘Meko Bono’ function had become a significant festival showcasing the culture and traditions of the people in the two regions.

Economy

Pimampim Kagbrese said the tourism sector contributed significantly to the economy of many countries across the globe. He said nations were investing substantial amounts of money into developing their tourism potential.

Pimampim Kagbrese said in Ghana, the sector was a bedrock of the economy with the government committing vast resources to its development. "The recently refurbished Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum is a case in point, attracting thousands of tourists," he said.

Pimampim Kagbrese said the region had a lot of tourist attractions that could compete favourably with other countries. He, however, said the region lacked adequate publicity to showcase its tourism potential.

Pimampim Kagbrese said the Busia Mausoleum at Wenchi, the resting place of Ghana's Second Prime Minister, was a potential tourist attraction. "Developing the mausoleum into a global tourist attraction could direct a lot of traffic to Wenchi, thereby promoting the economy of this part of the country," he said.

Policy

The Bono East Regional Director of the GTA, Joseph Appiagyei, said the festival was in line with the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture’s policy on domestic tourism. He said the two regions were endowed with a lot of festivals and tourism potentials which included the developed, underdeveloped and undeveloped sites.

Mr Appiagyei said the festival offered the people an opportunity to repackage and market the culture of the Bono people to the world. He said the Kintampo Waterfalls alone recorded 8,268 tourists, generating a revenue of GH¢101,755 in the first quarter of 2024.

Mr Appiagyei said 20 per cent of the visitors were children while 57 per cent were students; adults, 18 per cent and foreigners comprised only five per cent. He called on the public to support the government in developing untapped tourism sites since locals were interested in tourism sites to boost the country's economy.

Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh