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Regions of Tourism

There are 9 different regions in Ghana for tourism. These regions include: Eastern Region, Upper East Region, Volta Region, Greater Accra Region, Northern Region, Ahanti Region, Brong Ahafo Region, Upper West Region, and Western Region.

Eastern Region: The Eastern Region is known for its nature and culture. This area contains Lake Volta, "one of the world's largest man-made lakes" . The area is also known for Akosombo Dam, which is Ghana's main hydroelectric power. This region is also important because of it's commercial diamond industry and the cocoa industry. In this region, tourists can visit the cities of Akropong and Mampong which contains the original Presbyterian school buildings and Tetteh Quarshie's house.

Upper East Region: The Upper East Region is known for its immense savannah grasslands. This area is important because of its border with Burkina Faso and it is highly influenced today because of its past as a trans-Saharan trade route. This area contains six districts: Bawku East, Bawku West, Bongo Builsa, Kassena-Nankana, and Bolgatanga. Bolgatanga, also known as Bolga, is the capital district and is important because it a main stop in the trading commute from Mali and Burkina Faso to Tamale and Southern Ghana.

Greater Accra Region: The Greater Accra Region is best known for housing the nation's Capital City. It is considered the smallest region of all of the other regions. This area is known to contain a life of luxury with amazing hotels, nightclubs, historical architecture and restaurants. This are contains the National Museum which exhibits the life of Ghana from its being until modern time. This area also contains the nation's international airport.

Northern Region: The Northern Region is the largest region of all the other regions.; containing around 2 million citizens .It contains 13 of the 110 districts of the country.

Ahanti Region: The Ahanti Region is best known for all the culture it possesses. This area is recognized for all of the festivals, food, day-to-day life, and different languages. Many of the visitors can participate in these events if they choose to do so. The region is also know for its varied climate throughout the day.

Brong Ahafo Region: The Brong Ahafo Region is known for its diversity with ethnicities and culture aside from different geographical features.

Upper West Region: The Upper West Region is similar to the Upper East Region in term of geographical features and reasons of importance.

Western Region: The Western Region is known for its beaches. There are many houses in the water that visitors are welcome to use canoes to reach and spend the night. This area is also known for its multiple European forts used for trading. [1]

Heritage Tourism

Heritage Tourism is Ghana is composed of a festival called PANAFEST. PANAFEST is made up of PANAFEST and Emancipation Day. This festival takes place in primarily two cities: Elmina and Cape Coast. These cities were the largest slave-trading forts in the nation. The official opening ceremony is the wreath laying. It occurs in the region of Accra because that is the site of the "Fathers of Pan-Africianism" of Ghana. The celebrations for the following eight days move to Elmina and Cape Coast. These celebrations include carnival day, a journey of return from those located in other nations, Rita Marley's birthday, an academic lecture on the women and youth, a naming ceremony from people from the diaspora, and finally the "Reverential Night". PANAFEST (Pan-African Historical Festival) is a cultural event with the intention of increasing the notion of Pan-Africanism and African development. PANAFEST first came to be in the 1980s by Dr. Efua Sutherland. Emancipation Day is basically a day to remember the horrible occurrence of slavery. It first came to be in 1997 by President Rawlings. These two festivals were first celebrated on different days, however in 2001 they started to be celebrated together. PANAFEST is a direct manifestation of Ghanian culture. It is also the appropriation of it and capitalization by the Rawlings administration. Indeed, Rawlings' developed international cultural festivals such as PANAFEST as a source of income for Ghana through the promotion of tourism in Ghana. It proved to be effective.

Tourism in Ghana: Appropriated Beginnings

Before the Rawlings administration, tourism in Ghana was not an effective source of income for the Ghanian society and was thus a missed opportunity in helping to diversify the Ghanian economy. The Rawlings administration saw this area of opportunity and capitalized on it, ultimately appropriating the Ghanian culture and utilizing it as a source of revenue. Through the restoration of castles that were once used for the slave industry, establishment of public memorials honoring the "illustrious sons" of Ghana coupled with encouragement from the government via incentives for private investments, the Rawlings administration was effectively able to push tourism forward with the cost of capitalizing on Ghanian culture.

The tourist industry in Ghana is known to promote sustainable tourism which includes: cultural tourism, heritage tourism, recreational tourism, adventure tourism and events tourism. Cultural tourism focuses on festivals and events, whereas heritage tourism focuses on the history of the slave routes. Recreational tourism allows tourists to explore beaches and theme parks. Adventure tourism takes a look at rain forests and game parks, and event tourism focuses on resources and conferences.

Many of the heritage tourism sites highlight the legacy of the African Diaspora and the social composition of communities. As a result, these studies have impacted the tourists' connection to the heritage tourism sites by providing cultural depth to their traveling experience.

KASSA KHOUZAMI: I love how concise but detailed you guys were with the the descriptions of the Ghanian regions of Tourism. I think it would benefit you guys to include photos of each region as well as elaborating more on the activities, best seasons for travel and inform the audience of the effects of Ghana's Tourism on its economy.