Accra, Nov. 11, GNA – All was set for the launch of the 2022 Youth in Tourism Festival (YOTOFEST), on November 12, in Winneba in the Central Region.
The festival which is the third edition, is slated to be held in June 2022 at the University of Education, Winneba. It the first for the Central region and would be a flagship of at the regional level.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Thursday in Accra, Mr Joseph Armah Amartey, Executive Director, Tourism Society of Ghana said the festival for the first time would be held in partnership with the University of Education, Winneba, on the theme, “The youth, tourism and sanitation”.
He said in 2022, TOSOGHA would join the University Community as a way of recognizing the active and vital contribution of the youth towards the development of their societies.
He said the festival would allow young participants to be part of a unique experience, promote youth engagement in the tourism sector and empower younger generations to drive a more sustainable domestic tourism promotion.
Mr Amartey said “YOTOFEST 2022 is aimed at implementing a comprehensive analysis of the problems and prospects in order to find ways to develop youth tourism in the country and create a new model for work in this area, as well as active participation in the sustainable development of youth tourism in Ghana.”
It would also enhance youth empowerment and engagement in tourism, create tourism business incubation hubs and partnerships for the youth, as well as participation in the activities of international youth tourism associations, international non-governmental youth organizations among others.
He added that the festival would also promote regular programme of student exchanges, aimed at giving opportunities to young people from different backgrounds to get to know each other and to foster inter cultural learning, as well as promote domestic tourism among the youth.
Mr Amartey said the festival had been placed by the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture in the framework of its domestic tourism promotion agenda for Ghana and beyond.
The week-long festival will include a range of interactive activities and also involve leading thought personalities who would share their experiences around tourism and areas such as creative arts, tourism promotion and education, among others, he noted.
He said some activities lined up for the festival include youth engagements, tourism business investor pitch, business incubation, youth and community durbar, the big tree fun fair and domestic tours, awards and gala dinner night, clean up exercise, YOTOFEST street art carnival, and mass thanksgiving service.
GNA