The December 2023 Christmas festivities in Takoradi in Western Region, openly played out the symbiotic relationship and synergy existing between businesses, employment and tourism.
The higher number of tourists who turned out at the events this year particularly to witness Westside carnival, appeared to have pushed back the incessant notion of helplessness and hopelessness being crafted in the oil city of Takoradi.
The oil region, hitherto struggling with growing phenomenon of unemployment, forgot completely about all the disturbing issues troubling the region.
Here is Isaac Biney, an orphan, 24, from Ahanta, selling coconut to tourists, a job he loves to do, and has done that for twelve years when Westside carnival was not that popular.
Speaking in an interview, he observed that half of his adult age, had been spent in the coconut business, but the patronage during the 2023 yuletide, has made all his months of effort, sacrifice, sweat and toil, at least cumulatively worth it.
The exciting memory of 2023 Christmas in particular, he noted, would always ring a striking bell, just like the sudden demise of his parents (late mother and father) when he was barely ten (10) years and had to drop out of school without any sense of direction.
The reason, he said, he can’t forget 2023 Christmas is that, he would always recall the huge sales made during this festivities.
“It is due to high turn out of visitors in this year’s (2023) Takoradi Christmas activities, especially during the Westside Carnival today (26th December 2023) the orphan said an interview.
An array of activities
There existed coordinated Brass band music, interlaced with street carnival, skating, humans on wooden heights made as sandals heels dancing, men in ladies fashion designs, local delicacy cooking competition, live concerts, lightening spectacles, among others, climaxed the celebration of the December Westside carnival.
The social and economic impact of tourism, manifested vividly, as art, culture, glamor, blended with the touch of highlife music entertainment, guaranteed cohesion, and made this year’s Westside Carnival an epicenter of excitement, with a statement of joy and camaraderie crowning the feelings of participants, both domestic and inbound tourists.
It was an unforgettable moment for the hospitality industry in Western Region as players cashed in on massive tourism returns following impressive number of tourists who were received within the five day callander mounted by the key stakeholders holding the key to the Christmas festivities, an operator in the hospitality industry Abigail Nyarko confirmed.
Popular and unpopular Hotels, Guest houses, Air B and B, Hostels, all booked to capacity, making resorts sorted, Kheebab joints multiplied in various folds.
At the end, the dollar, pound sterling and euro, all found space in the market amidst celebration, as people from United States of America, Britain, and Europe, joined the jamboree and spent with thunder to remember December.
The locals against the foreigners
The locals, as usual, popped champagne at various functions while pounded cassava (fufu) , and other prepared delicious traditional meals served hot to welcome the inbound tourists who made Takoradi and for that matter Western Region the home of Christmas.
Promotion of peace and stability
All stakeholders who participated in this year’s carnival, only shared joy and fun memories.
The chieftaincy disputes in the region, political coloration of issues, petty quarrels, pickpocketing, all did not find space in virtually all the array of events that were streamlined purposely to entertain tourists.
The security agencies collaborated effectively with the local organizing committees to shape, and direct affairs without hindrances.
Key political figures including Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, Western Regional Minister, Richard Kirk-Mensah, Western Regional Communications Director of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Philip Fiifi Buckman, NDC parliamentary candidate for Kwesimintsim Constituency, Joseph Cudjoe, Minister for Public Sector Enterprises among others, participated to crown the year with the ultimate goal of promoting peace and stability in the region.
Economic impact and Tourism potential
Isaac Biney, the orphan coconut seller, confirmed, he made an average sale of over one thousand pieces of coconut on daily basis throughout the festival period.
It was not just Isaac Biney milking the cow alone with his coconut business boom, but the number of coconut joints in the oil city of Takoradi, multiplied during the festive period, with an estimated number of coconut joints increasing from twenty five (25) to over fifty (50) joints, therefore changing the average daily sales of an estimated ten thousand (10,000) pieces of coconut to over one hundred thousand (100,000) pieces of coconut daily throughout the festive period.
The story of Isaac Biney, is certainly not different from Alidu Atinga, an immigrant from Bolga in Upper East Region, and an operator of a Kheebab joint, established purposely for the festive period.
He confirmed in an interview of making an average sale of ten thousand (10,000) sticks of Kheebab a day.
A cogent reason, the city, was littered with Kheebab joints, and all operators made significant sales, he said.
The exit and entry into popular drinking spots, beer bars, restaurants and hotels, justified an estimation that over one hundred thousand people participated in this year’s Westside Carnival.
Addressing an enthusiastic crowd at the climax of the Westside carnival, Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, said tourism, as being promoted in the Western Region, through the carnival, would bring investment opportunities into the region and the investment opportunities would bring into the region an unforgettable experience and development
Therefore, the progress recorded, in making the dream of using tourism, as the cornerstone and growth pole for Western Region remains fruitful
Tourists striking perspectives
Francis Sohany, one of the European tourists who graced the Westside carnival said summarily “The experience is just unbelievable. I will like to visit Ghana again next year to witness this fascinating festival”
The number of Masquerade groups here, and the dancing skills displayed, he said, made his visit to Ghana and the Christmas a complete vacation “You can see and feel the entertainment while you are here” he emphasized.
For Adriana Coleman, the whole episode of the carnival changed her perception about Ghana
“For hours, it was just about fun, not fury, freaking not faking, dancing and display of beautiful dresses. I told my husband, we would certainly have our own costumes designed for us next year so we can take active part in the festival”
Costume, dancing and display of skills
All the various Masquerade groups had their costumes customized by their Taylors and they looked uniformly.
The groups, not only share different costumes, but different dancing skills and operations. The only common thing about the over hundred groups is their social intervention programs and projects being deployed to support community initiatives, education, health and environmental campaigns, said Kofi Adobe, an observer of the groups.
For the children among the groups, parents had tough time managing them to follow their respective Masquerade clubs to tour principal streets before showing up at the carnival grounds.
Despite the age gap, the children, averaging one (1) year to twelve (12) years had same skills as the adults.
The role of key stakeholders
Considering all what transpired, one of the influential journalists in Western Region who belongs to one of the popular Masquerade groups, Paa Kwesi Simpson, said sustainability of the festival remains crucial and that the campaign ought to be embraced by all opinion leaders in the region.
“Looking at the growing interest being shown by tourists in the festival, we have to collectively manage the process very well in order to sustain the interest and improve the tourism aspect”
For Bright Adjobi Opare, an indigene of the city, the clamor for participation in the events lined up was a signal that the festival had come to stay.
The Western Regional Coordinating Council, led by Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Ambulance Service, Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture led by Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, Skyy Media group led by Wilson Arthur, Empire Media Group and hundreds of sponsors as well as volunteers, all contributed to make the festival the crave of tourists.
The orphan, coconut and tourism, indeed became the trailer for Takoradi tales as the home of Christmas demonstrated through Westside carnival that tourism can and would remain the social tool for development.
The carnival, as many indicated performed beyond the expectations of all spectators.
By: Zambaga Rufai Saminu | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
