The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Cape Coast, Mr. Justice Arthur, has paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Prof. Kobby Mensah. The visit, which initially served to congratulate Prof. Kobby Mensah for his tremendous support toward this year’s Oguaa Fetu Afahye, evolved into a strategic conversation on revolutionizing the festival and unlocking broader development opportunities for Cape Coast.
During their discussion, Prof. Kobby Mensah proposed innovative ways to refresh and expand the Fetu Afahye experience. He suggested the introduction of old-school recreational activities, such as hockey and football matches, to inject excitement and community participation into the festival. These activities, he noted, could be organized in zoned clusters over a three-day period as part of an “events outline” embedded within the festival. He encouraged the MCE to pilot the concept as a test case.
Prof. Kobby Mensah further introduced what he termed a Festival Management Framework, a model aimed at optimizing the social and economic benefits of major cultural events. He emphasized the importance of asking critical management questions such as how festivals are organized and how communities can derive tangible value from them. He recommended establishing a structured festival committee supported by staff training, and proposed selling festival rights to major telecommunications companies like MTN and Vodafone to increase sponsorship and revenue.
Discussions ongoing between Mr Arthur, MCE of Cape Coast and Prof Kobby Mensah, CEO of GTDC
The MCE, Mr. Arthur, also shared ideas for repositioning Cape Coast as an attractive investment hub. He proposed organizing an Investment and Business Summit to highlight available lands within the municipality suitable for development, particularly targeting influential Fante business leaders interested in contributing to growth in their homeland.
Additionally, the MCE highlighted the need for a Tourism Investment Summit to spotlight heritage and cultural assets requiring urgent investment. Key sites mentioned included the old military cemetery and the historic building in which the Bond of 1844 was signed now deteriorating. In response, Prof. Kobby Mensah pledged support, promising to engage archaeologist Prof. Apoh Wazi to assess the state of the building.
Prof.Kobby Mensah also underscored the importance of profiling notable sites in Cape Coast on the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform (GTiP) to attract visibility and potential investors. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to collaboratively enhance Cape Coast’s cultural heritage, tourism appeal, and investment readiness.
Story By: Lein Tetteh
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Cape Coast, Mr. Justice Arthur, has paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Prof. Kobby Mensah. The visit, which initially served to congratulate Prof. Kobby Mensah for his tremendous support toward this year’s Oguaa Fetu Afahye, evolved into a strategic conversation on revolutionizing the festival and unlocking broader development opportunities for Cape Coast.
During their discussion, Prof. Kobby Mensah proposed innovative ways to refresh and expand the Fetu Afahye experience. He suggested the introduction of old-school recreational activities, such as hockey and football matches, to inject excitement and community participation into the festival. These activities, he noted, could be organized in zoned clusters over a three-day period as part of an “events outline” embedded within the festival. He encouraged the MCE to pilot the concept as a test case.
Prof. Kobby Mensah further introduced what he termed a Festival Management Framework, a model aimed at optimizing the social and economic benefits of major cultural events. He emphasized the importance of asking critical management questions such as how festivals are organized and how communities can derive tangible value from them. He recommended establishing a structured festival committee supported by staff training, and proposed selling festival rights to major telecommunications companies like MTN and Vodafone to increase sponsorship and revenue.
Discussions ongoing between Mr Arthur, MCE of Cape Coast and Prof Kobby Mensah, CEO of GTDC
The MCE, Mr. Arthur, also shared ideas for repositioning Cape Coast as an attractive investment hub. He proposed organizing an Investment and Business Summit to highlight available lands within the municipality suitable for development, particularly targeting influential Fante business leaders interested in contributing to growth in their homeland.
Additionally, the MCE highlighted the need for a Tourism Investment Summit to spotlight heritage and cultural assets requiring urgent investment. Key sites mentioned included the old military cemetery and the historic building in which the Bond of 1844 was signed now deteriorating. In response, Prof. Kobby Mensah pledged support, promising to engage archaeologist Prof. Apoh Wazi to assess the state of the building.
Prof.Kobby Mensah also underscored the importance of profiling notable sites in Cape Coast on the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform (GTiP) to attract visibility and potential investors. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to collaboratively enhance Cape Coast’s cultural heritage, tourism appeal, and investment readiness.
Story By: Lein Tetteh