2016 Ghana Garden and Flower Show Launched
The Strategic Communications Africa (STRATCOMM) Africa on Tuesday launched the fourth Annual Ghana Garden and Flower Show, on the theme: “Dream It, Discover It, and Live It.”
It focuses on Ecotourism and the 5Ps of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership) and intended to be used to contribute to the realization of these goals locally.
The Show would open at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra from September 8, to September 14, with events such as an exhibition, workshops for children and adults, a conference, Jazz Night, a fashion show as well as a party in the park.
Ms Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer of STRATCOMM Africa, said the annual event has been geared towards ensuring a cleaner, greener, healthier and wealthier nation through enhancing horticultural and floricultural activities.
She said Ghana has many ecotourism cites that has the potential of benefiting the public and private sectors, as well as individuals, and “our focus on ecotourism this year means that we shall examine the Ecotourism value chain and carefully identify the associated benefits to human existence”.
She said apart from the benefits to individual livelihoods, many industries such as airline, hospitality and creative arts benefit from it, and it has the potential of contributing immensely to the national economy.
According to her, Ghana is fortunate to have a good weather, with sunshine most days of each years, as well as good soil, water and rich flora and fauna, which creates opportunities for harnessing these resources for national benefits in areas such as tourism promotion, job creation, income and foreign exchange generation, health and beauty, as well as environmental conservation.
She said there is therefore the need to whip up the interest of Ghanaians to maintain positive attitudes and behaviors towards gardening and flowers in order to benefit fully from the potential that the horticulture and floriculture industry offers.
Ms Cobbah said the Garden and Flower Movement was established to help generate the required awareness and positive attitudes and behaviors among the public about the commercial, aesthetic and health benefits of horticulture and floriculture.
She expressed appreciation to the various stakeholders and sponsors of previous shows and called for further sponsorship and investment into the event.
Ms Christine Evans-Klock, the UN Resident Coordinator, commended STRATCOM and the Garden and Flower Movement for the initiative and effort being made to unearth talents of Ghanaians in gardening and flowers for both economic, social and health benefits.
She said called for strengthened partnership and inclusiveness on the part of stakeholders in achieving the SDGs.
Nana Oduro Kwarteng, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, affirmed the Ministry’s active collaboration with STRATCOMM Africa to boost tourism potentials in the horticultural and floriculture sector.
Source: GNA