Ministry of Tourism to launch Ghana Carnival and Homofest
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), and other Stakeholders, would on Friday April 20 launch the 4th Edition of Ghana Carnival and Homofest 2018, in Accra.
In a release issued to the Ghana News Agency, it said Homowo is a traditional festival celebrated by the different Ga-Adangbe states of the Greater Accra Region.
Each community has a day and a unique way of celebrating their Homowo festival.
It said in 2014, the MoTAC came out with an innovative idea which saw all the Ga-Adangbe coming together to celebrate a National Homowo Festival dubbed “Homofest”.
Homofest is celebrated after all the Ga-Adangbe states have celebrated their individual Homowo festivals.
“Homofest is in line with the Ministry’s objective to develop and promote Tourism, Arts and Culture.”
The release said the celebration of the carnival in Ghana as a national event dates back to 2014, when the Ministry pre-tested it and made it a national event.
It said the feedback from 2014 showed that the festival left an impressive and lasting image on participants, hence the need to make it an annual event.
According to the release both festivals are aimed at creating an enabling environment for domestic tourism to thrive by bringing people together to enjoy the rich Ghanaian culture, music and cuisine.
It is to encouraged business development and promotion through sponsorship, create value for happiness through entertainment and pleasure, forge tourism partnerships with neighbouring sister countries in a bid to promote multi-destination tours and bring Ga-Adangbe together to foster unity and development.
It said the theme for the carnival is “Ghana Carnival 2018: Using arts and culture to promote our economy, while that of the homofest is “HOMOFEST 2018: celebrating our culture, heritage and diversity.
“In all, the two events are expected to each attract approximately 5,000 people to the fair and festival grounds in July and October, 2018 respectively.”
The release said in this regard, the MoTAC and its stakeholders seeks to use this opportunity to entreat all and sundry especially, Media practitioners, Corporate bodies, Hoteliers, Airlines, the Diplomatic Corps and other players in the hospitality and Tourism Sectors to come on board to support the forthcoming events to make them successful.
“The carnival procession route in the Accra business district, is as follows: The float begins from Mantse Agbona, through the Atta Mills High Street, the Ghana Law School, the National THEATRE of Ghana, the Ridge Roundabout, the International Conference Centre, via Osu Oxford Street to Danquah Circle, Labone, Osu Police Station, and would finally end at the Independence Square.”
Source: GNA