By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, July 23, GNA – Mr Emmanuel Frimpong, a tourism consultant has called for PANAFEST and Emancipation Day to be repositioned to strengthen their contribution to tourism, investment and cultural diplomacy.
He said the celebrations should be broadened to reflect contemporary development priorities while preserving their historical purpose.
Mr Frimpong, Founding President of the Africa Tourism Research Network (ARTN), made the proposal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.
“It is time for Ghana to rethink, not replace, PANAFEST and Emancipation Day. The festivals remain historically significant, but they need to evolve to reflect the aspirations of the 21st century and maximise their economic, cultural and diplomatic impact,” he said.
Mr Frimpong said PANAFEST and Emancipation Day should incorporate investment forums, tourism and hospitality exhibitions, creative economy marketplaces, start-up competitions and diaspora business networking sessions to enhance their economic value.
He said the celebrations should also feature exhibitions on African fashion, film, music, technology and other creative industries to attract investors and promote Ghana as a tourism destination.
Mr Frimpong proposed greater youth participation through digital storytelling, artificial intelligence exhibitions on African heritage, virtual reality experiences, gaming, youth leadership summits and Pan-African innovation challenges.
He also advocated stronger engagement with the African diaspora through genealogy and ancestry services, citizenship and residency information centres, volunteer programmes, university exchanges and heritage entrepreneurship initiatives.
Mr Frimpong said PANAFEST was established to reconnect Africa with its diaspora, promote healing after the transatlantic slave trade and celebrate African identity, while Emancipation Day commemorated the resilience of enslaved Africans.
He said those objectives remained relevant but should be complemented by discussions on economic emancipation, youth empowerment, innovation and partnerships between Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.
“Remembrance is essential, but we should also ask what African freedom means today, how Africa can achieve economic emancipation and how young Africans and the diaspora can build prosperity together,” he said.
Mr Frimpong urged government and other stakeholders to position PANAFEST as a continental platform for heritage tourism, Pan-African cooperation, creative industries and investment.
He said the celebrations could be restructured into a Pan-African Heritage and Future Festival built around four pillars: Remember, Reconnect, Rebuild and Rise.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Hafsa ObengÂ
[email protected]Â