UEW Hosts Annual Youth in Tourism Festival

The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has hosted the Annual Youth in Tourism Festival (YOTOFEST). The event was under the theme “The youth, Tourism, and Sanitation”. 

The festival, which was held at the Jophus Anamuah Conference Centre on the North Campus of Winneba, aimed to enhance the problem-solving abilities of the youth to ensure their active involvement in the achievement of sustainable development targets by the year 2030 as well as empower younger generations to initiate more sustainable tourism opportunities.

Speaking during the programme, the Chairman of the event, Prof. Emmanuel Obed Acquah, representing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mawutor Avoke, underscored the need to involve the youth of the country in its processes to ensure proper growth of the economy and promote tourism.

“Youth participation is very crucial to growing our economy and promoting tourism and sanitation,” he said. 

The Paramount Chief, Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII, in his address commended organisers for the initiative to make tourism and sanitation the focus of the event. He entreated participants to contribute to helping the tourism industry grow.

Notable among the invited guests were the Paramount Chief, Effutu Traditional Area, Neenyi Ghartey VII (right), Prof. Emmanuel Obed Acquah, Hon. Zubairu Kassim and Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr.

 "As a nation, we have done well in ensuring the development of tourism across the country. Tourism does many things for us and, if we should be participants, it could be what we sell, what we display or showcase that may influence tourists to make purchases from us."

The President of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA), Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike Jnr., who represented the Minister for Tourism, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, advised that Ghana's development should be modelled around tourism. He indicated that enhancing the tourism industry will contribute to enhancing other areas of the country's development. 

“Tourism has to do with every aspect of our lives and the earlier we appreciated its importance in our development the better. Tourism can be used as a vehicle to upgrade our security, good road networks, potable drinking water, reliable electricity and good governance”.

A cross-section of youth and guests at this year's festival

He argued that the different aspects of tourism, such as tour operators, hotel services, dining establishments, and tourist attractions, provide the youth with a lot of opportunities.

“We all know the employment potential of the tourism industry, if we develop our tourism and hospitality sector, we may say goodbye to the challenges that we are facing with regards to youth employment”.

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Effutu Municipal Assembly, Hon. Zubairu Kassim, who was one of the speakers at the ceremony stressed the importance of involving the youth to help advance tourism.

Also present at the opening ceremony were lecturers, traditional rulers, students and tourism clubs among others.

There was an exhibition of arts and handmade crafts.

Some highlights of the ceremony