A media personality who doubles as a funeral organizer Mr. Listoward Kwabina Dark, (Dee Boy) has rubbished comments made by Minister for Tourism, Arts, and culture Dr. Mohammed that and said that his outfit will leverage the importance and “love” Ghanaians attach to funerals to convert funerals into tourist sites.
Mr. Listowel believes there is no ‘sense’ in conveying tourists to funerals to boost the economy.
Mr. Listoward Kwabina Darko, aka Dee Boy in an interview with Ohene Kinnah on Plan B FM late afternoon show EBAANOSEN, explained that there are a lot of tourist sites in the country that need to be evolved to generate revenue to boost the economy rather than funerals.
“What is so special in funerals that can attract tourists, I believe that there are different ways some tribes in Ghana perform or organize funerals for their departed loved one but that does not guarantee the government to make money whilst the briefed families mourning, people are are advocating that, monies invested into funerals should rather be channeled into the education of the children in the family instead so why this? he fumed.
“With these plans and ideas is a clear indication that we are losing focus and priority as a nation.” He added
The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Mohammed Awal has justified his ministry’s ‘funeral tourism’ initiative, saying Ghanaians love funerals, so it will help boost the local economy wherever a funeral is being held in the country.
Free buses will convey tourists to funerals – Minister explains ‘funeral tourism’
According to him, the ministry will provide buses to convey tourists free of charge to funeral grounds wherever they are taking place in Ghana to witness the cultural performances and patronize the various tourist attraction sites in those localities, their local cuisine, and other things of interest.
Dr. Awal, speaking at an event in Kumasi in connection with ‘funeral tourism’, said that his ministry is working with the Ghana Tourism Authority and other stakeholders to bring the idea to fruition.
It would be recalled that his Deputy Minister, Mark Okraku-Mantey in an interview with an Accra-based radio station hinted at the initiative and got trolled by a section of Ghanaians who said the idea was bizarre.
According to him, his boss had come up with the idea of using funerals to sell Ghana’s rich culture to the world.
He explained further that cultural displays that accompany Ghanaian funerals lately have the potential to influence tourists to visit the various parts of the country to witness them.
Okraku-Mantey added that Muslims bury the dead on the same day of demise or just a day after but Christians preserve the corpse for longer before burial and all forms of rituals are performed during the funeral that may be of interest to tourists.
“You [Christians] keep your bodies [corpse], and there are things you do that can attract people to go to a particular town.
“…whether we like it or not, in the Ashanti Region, a funeral is a big deal,” the deputy minister said.
Now, it appears the ministry is bent on implementing the initiative and is taking steps to roll it out in earnest, hence sensitization programs are being held to get the buy-in of Ghanaians.
Discussion about this post