Tourism Minister endorses Oxford Street Fair
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has endorsed the Oxford Street Fair, which seeks to promote local businesses and made-in-Ghana goods, to become an annual affair.
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According to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the fair had the potential to boost the tourism credentials of Accra, as well as provide employment opportunities for the youth of the city.
Promotion of made-in Ghana goods
Speaking at a meeting with organisers of the fair, Street Fairs International (SFI), in Accra, the minister observed that the ministry was encouraged by the patronage of the maiden edition of the event which was organised in December last year to promote made-in-Ghana goods.
“It is a good opportunity to promote our businesses and I will encourage local businesses to take advantage of the opportunities the fair offers to show what Ghana has to offer,” she said.
She described the fair as a refreshing scene on the Osu Oxford Street and encouraged the organisers to introduce it in other parts of Accra and the entire country.
The fair, which has the Accra Metropolitan Assembly as one of its partners, will be held twice every year during Easter and Christmas.
Easter Street Fair
Over 200 products are expected to be exhibited at the Oxford Street Easter Fair from April 3-5, 2015, with side attractions including local food staples and a cultural and music expose.
Mrs Catherine Morton, the Project Director of SFI, said the organisation aimed at hosting bi-annual street fairs in the city, with the objective of sharpening the appetite of consumers for locally-manufactured goods and services.
“It is also our aim to put Ghana on the tourism map through our events. Our hope is for the Oxford Street International Fair to grow to rival other international street fairs and become a major attraction on the country’s tourism calendar,” she said.
According to Mrs Morton, the company would this year establish a support wing to help street hawkers and start-up businesses to participate in all the fairs to support local industry.
Notable among the corporate bodies supporting the Oxford Street Easter Fair are Olam Ghana Limited, Millicom Ghana Limited, Blue Skies, Bel Aqua, Sanita Consumer Products and 5star Drinks.