By Michael Foli Jackidy
Vodza (V/R), March 16, GNA – The Vodza Ecotourism Initiative (VEI), in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Naval Training Command, Nutekpor (NAVTRAC) and other partners, has launched the 2026 Vodza Easter Regatta in the Keta Municipality, to promote tourism and community-based economic development in the Keta enclave and the Volta Region.
The launch marked the fifth edition of the Vodza Easter Regatta, an event that has grown into a major cultural and sporting festival for the coastal community.
Mr Wisdom Seade, the Municipal Chief Executive for Keta, said the event presented an opportunity for the municipality to harness its natural resources for ecotourism development.
He noted that the Keta area was naturally endowed with beautiful beaches, islands, a clear lagoon and an attractive landscape that could draw both domestic and international visitors.
“It is time for us to explore and develop our natural endowments in the area of ecotourism. When we invest in these opportunities and promote them well, we will create jobs for our youth and stimulate economic activities in the municipality,” he said.
Mr Seade added that the municipality also had rich cultural heritage, music, dance and a variety of nutritious local foods that visitors could experience during the Regatta and related tourism activities.
He assured that the Assembly was committed to supporting and promoting the event while opening up the area for private investment in tourism-related ventures such as water sports facilities, recreational resorts, bird-watching towers and hospitality services.
Mr Benjamin Anane Nsiah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, commended the Vodza community for sustaining the Regatta for five years and promoting community-led ecotourism.
“Five years of organising this Regatta is no small feat. Your commitment to championing community-based ecotourism is exactly the kind of grassroots innovation Ghana needs,” he said.
Mr Nsiah said initiatives such as the Regatta had the potential to drive local economic development by creating opportunities for fishmongers, artisans, fishermen, tour guides and other service providers.
He noted that the GTA, under the leadership of Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the sector Minister, with the support of President John Dramani Mahama, was committed to promoting local tourism and empowering communities to develop their own tourism narratives.
He disclosed that the Authority planned to develop Vodza into a tourism hub by establishing visitor facilities including washrooms, a car park, eateries serving local cuisine, curio shops and a tourism information centre
Mr Nsiah said GTA would also organise training programmes for youth, fisherfolk and women in tour guiding and other skills along the tourism value chain.
He added that the Authority envisioned a broader tourism corridor along the southern Volta Region, stretching from Anyanui to Aflao, linking attractions such as Fort Prinzenstein in Keta, the Hedzranawo slave heritage site in Denu, the Atorkor slave market and beach resorts along the Keta and Anloga coastline.
FCPO Prince Abotsi, the Commander Coxswain at the Naval Training Command in Nutekpor, said the Regatta symbolised more than a sporting event, describing it as a celebration of the community’s connection to the sea, maritime heritage and spirit of sportsmanship.
He said naval physical training instructors would support the organisation of the competition to ensure safety, discipline and order during the event.
Mrs Bridget Katsriku, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Vodza Ecotourism Initiative, described the launch as historic, noting that it was the first time the Regatta had been formally launched since its inception five years.
She explained that the initiative was created partly to provide alternative livelihoods for fishing communities affected by declining fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean.
“Our pristine beaches, lagoon, islands and culture are not just heritage; they are opportunities to create dignified livelihoods through tourism and place Vodza and the entire coastal belt of the Volta Region firmly on Ghana’s tourism map,” she said.
Mrs Katsriku said the Regatta had evolved from a simple community boat competition into a credible and scalable tourism product capable of attracting domestic tourists, diaspora visitors and hospitality partners.
She noted that the partnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority marked a major turning point for the initiative, following the Authority’s recent assessment which identified the Keta and Anloga enclave as a potential integrated cultural ecotourism destination.
She said the next phase of the initiative would focus on promoting ecotourism along the coastal areas of the Volta Region, strengthening skills training for local tourism operators, attracting responsible private investment and ensuring that economic benefits reached households in Vodza and surrounding communities.
Community members, traditional leaders, youth groups and cultural drumming groups from Vodza and neighbouring communities attended the launch.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo