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GTA, PSWU, MOFA AND QUEEN MOTHERS FOUNDATION CELEBRATES ‘FEAST GHANA’ ON MAY DAY
The ‘Feast Ghana’ event which hosted about two thousand (2000) workers from various institutions in the Public Service to experience Ghana’s culture through food was climaxed at the Forecourt of the Accra International Conference Centre on 1st May, 2024.
The spectacular event was organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Public Service Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (PSWU of TUC), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Queen Mothers Foundation.
Distinguished personalities from the public service, the diplomatic community and the traditional authority were present to witness the colourful and momentous occasion. The queen mothers were not left out as they graced the occasion in their colourful traditional regalia such as our prestigious kente and beads; each which tells a story about the Ghanaian culture.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman applauded the organisers of the “Feast Ghana’ for showcasing Ghana’s culture through food, music, and dance. According to him, this is in line with GTA’s “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Feel Ghana and Wear Ghana” campaign to promote domestic tourism.
However, this is a step in the right direction; and it will go a long way in promoting our local cuisine and culture thereby making Ghana the preferred cultural hub in the sub region.
The Feast Ghana PSWU May Day Grand celebration offered a display of Ghana’s diverse culinary landscapes with food stalls featuring dishes from various regions of the country. There were musical performances and concerts by Ghanaian artistes such as ‘Samini, Great Ampong, Naa Amanua of Wulomei’, among others; which gave a vibe of Ghana’s traditional, local music and dance.
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Successful Feast Ghana Event held at Manhyia Palace in Celebration of Asanteman Queenmothers Day
In a grand celebration of Asanteman Queenmothers Day, the Manhyia Palace hosted a successful Feast Ghana event that highlighted the rich culinary heritage of Asanteman. The event, graced by esteemed guests including the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehemaa, Nana Kondu Yiadom III, Chief of Staff of the Office of the President, Hon. Frema Osei Opare, Minister Designate for Tourism Arts and Culture Hon. Egyapa Mercer, Deputy Mark Okraku Mantey, and CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority Akwasi Agyeman, brought together a blend of tradition, culture, and gastronomy.
The event served as a culinary extravaganza, skillfully presenting an assortment of traditional Ghanaian dishes amidst a colourful spectacle of traditional drumming and dancing.
In his remarks, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority Akwasi Agyeman expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, “The feast at Manhyia Palace truly encapsulates the essence of Ghanaian hospitality and cultural richness. By showcasing our traditional cuisines, we are not only promoting culinary tourism but also inviting the world to savor the unique flavors that Ghana has to offer.”
The Minister Designate for Tourism, Hon Egyapa Mercer indicated the Feast Ghana event is not only to celebrate our culinary heritage but also invite others to experience the warmth and richness of Ghanaian hospitality
Emphasizing the value of preserving and sharing Ghana’s culinary traditions, the Chief of Staff, Hon Frema Osei Opare, urged for the creation of a recipe book that would immortalize these cherished dishes for generations to come. “This initiative seeks to not only preserve Ghana’s culinary legacy but also to entice visitors to explore the country through its flavors and culinary experiences” she said.
The Asantehene, Osei Tutu II, also shared his thoughts, saying, “Queenmothers play an important role in Asante cultural heritage and celebrating them is an integral part of Asanteman culture and identity” .
The next stop for the Feast Ghana train is the Accra International Conference Center on Wednesday May 1, where the Ghana Tourism Authority has partnered the PSWU of TUC and the Queenmothers Foundation to give workers of Ghana a treat of authentic Ghanaian food and entertainment.
UNWTO And Basque Culinary Centre Launch 2nd Gastronomy Tourism Start-Up Competition
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Basque Culinary Center have joined forces again for the second edition of the Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition.
After the success of the first edition, the competition has returned to identify and celebrate disruptive ideas and innovators who will lead the transformation of the sector as well as those who are making a positive impact in their local communities.
In 2019, over 300 initiatives from 84 countries were submitted. Projects ranged from new technologies, community-based tourism development initiatives, innovation software and startups focused on innovation-driven agricultural sustainability. All of them help contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Gastronomy continues to prove its potential as a vital opportunity to enrich the tourism offer and stimulate economic development in destinations all around the world
For this second edition and with the support of the TUI Care Foundation, there will be two prizes. The first category will identify the initiative that is both innovative and has a sustainable social impact. The winning project will receive expert support from Basque Culinary Center (the Culinary Action! initiative) and from UNWTO. The project will be showcased at the 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy. As well as receiving help in creating a work plan for the design or implementation of a pilot project, the winner will also have access to the Culinary Action! network, which offers mentoring, monitoring and the opportunity to scale-up the project using the latest digital tools available.
The other category will recognize the most disruptive gastronomy tourism startup overall. The winning company will design a pilot project alongside Basque Culinary Center and implement it with the help of its network. It will also receive economic support to cover the expenses of the acceleration process with Culinary Action!, as well as accommodation and travel, for up to 3.000 euros.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “With this competition, we are identifying key companies which will shape the future for food and travel. Gastronomy continues to prove its potential as a vital opportunity to enrich the tourism offer and stimulate economic development in destinations all around the world, especially in rural communities, with the potential to scale on a global level.”
Competition co-founder, Basque Culinary Center Director Joxe Mari Aizega added: “This competition allows us to identify and support entrepreneurial talent in gastronomy. There are entrepreneurs in different parts of the world who are promoting new initiatives that take advantage of the potential of gastronomy and tourism. Likewise, it allows us to provide training and to offer tools to help entrepreneurs to develop projects with the potential to transform and have a positive impact on both companies and destinations, promoting gastronomic tourism as a tool to guarantee the sustainability of the destination.”
The call for proposals for the and UNWTO and Basque Culinary Center’s Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition has been launched worldwide and will close on 6 April. The finalists of the Startups category and the winners of the Social Innovation Category will be announced on 4 May 2020.
The Startups category winner winning startup will be announced between 1 and 3 June, during the 6th Edition World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism to be held in Flanders, Belgium.
For more information and registration materials, visit https://www.gastronomytourismventures.org/en
RELATED LINKS
- Donwload PDF
- UNWTO and Basque Culinary Center launch Guidelines for the Development of Gastronomy Tourism
- Job Creation and Entrepreneurship take Centre Stage at UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tour
- Announcement of the Finalists of the 1st Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition
About Basque Culinary Center
Basque Culinary Center is a pioneering academic institution worldwide, created by seven of the top Basque chefs along with Mondragon University, and with the involvement of eleven of the most influential chefs in the world.
The main aim of Basque Culinary Center is higher education, research, innovation and promotion of gastronomy and nutrition.
Since its creation, in September 2011, we have worked to become the international benchmark in this field and also to promote gastronomy as a lever of social-economic development through the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences and the Centre for Research and Innovation. We also develop many different promotional activities.
Media contacts:
UNWTO – Communication Department
comm@unwto.org
+ 34 91 567 8100
BCC – Communication Department
comunicacion@bculinary.com
+34 943 57 45 17
www.bculinary.com
Photos: Colourful Culture-Rich Durbar climaxes 2019 ‘Year of Return’ Edina Bakatue Festival
It was a historic grand durbar on Saturday, July 6, climaxing the 2019 ‘Year of Return’ edition of the Edina Bakatue Festival at Elmina. The forecourt of the historic Eliminate Castle played host to this colourful kente-rich durbar graced by the Vice President H.E. Dr. Bawumia.
Omanhene of Edina Traditional Area, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, and the people of Elmina celebrate Bakatue to symbolise the beginning of the fishing season.
Speaking at the Durbar, the Vice President assured Edinaman that Government will continue to initiate policies and roll out programmes that will make fishing less tedious and more profitable.
He added that the government was working hard to complete the first phase of the ongoing Elmina Heritage Bay project with a reverential garden under that will provide enhanced durbar grounds and promote tourism.
Dr. Bawumia intimated that as part of the broader government agenda to provide fish landing sites along coastal communities, funding for ten such fish landing sites has been secured and works shall begin soon.
He listed the ten (10) sites as including: Teshie in the Greater Accra Region, Axim and Dixcove in the Western Region, Elmina, Winneba, Mumford, Senya-Bereku, Fetteh-Gomoah and Moree in the Central Region and Keta in the Volta Region.
He concluded that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will continue to work hard to bring developments to the doorsteps of the people of Elmina.
The Omanhene Nana Kodwo Conduah VI on his part encouraged his people to keep clean environments and use made in Ghana goods to help create jobs.
Present at the Durbar was the MP Hon. Samuel Atta Mills, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority.
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