By Isaac Ato MENSAH
Accra- 7 November, 2018.
On 12 October, Catherine Afeku, minister for tourism, arts and culture launched the maiden issue of See Ghana Magazine.
The venue was the Kempinski aka the go to place for the posh; the latest craze in town, the upscale location that lends class, and gravitas to functions.
The Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra is located right next to the government ministries at Ridge Accra; it is just a stone’s throw from Tema Station, at the entrances of which stand several public toilets!!!
It has a taxi rank in front of it and a few table top sellers of food, “pure” water and drinks.
These sellers sit in front of the usually overgrown and aesthetically challenged Efua Sutherland Children’s Park.
But as we say tongue-in-cheek in Ghana: ‘Don’t mind the body; mind the engine’. To wit, substance; not form!!!
So let us go inside the Kempinski and hear out the tourism minister.
Today, there is no time for us to order the famous Kempinski delicacy- a plate of roasted plantain and peanuts which sells for USD 100.00…..phew; talk about gouging!
The See Ghana Magazine is part of efforts to boost domestic tourism by attracting tourists across the globe, reported various media houses.
But the 23rd GJA Awards Committee has taught us to be cautious …especially when reading reports from Ghanaian journalists.
Afeku’s own Facebook message must surely be more helpful.
It reads,
‘As part of our efforts to boost domestic tourism in an attempt to attract tourists across the globe, we were at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra last night, to launch the maiden edition of the #SEEGHANA Magazine.
Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku.’
Uhmmm….again? And again?
Now let us try hard to link the two – domestic tourism and “the other tourism” that brings in foreigners to get them to spend their “dollars”.
So it means this magazine is for us locals…? Naah!
Ghanaweb.com reported that complimentary copies will be given to embassies and high commissions as well as planes for free.
But we locals will grab one at 10 Cedis from news stands.
Deep breath, now exhale!
‘Any cultural practice which provides a relatively polemical allusive imitation of another cultural production or practice,’ is Linda Hutcheon’s concept of parody.
So where is the parody- who’s conning who?
Is it this article?
Or those who go to Kempinski for the form….and the roasted plantain?
Or the domestic tourism posse going to a funeral in a region outside Accra while sampling gizzard, khebab, and grilled Guinea fowls with an assortment of local gin or beer?
The See Ghana Magazine team?
Or those who say we should see the glass as half full and dwell on the positives?
Or the minister for ?tourism, ?arts and ?culture?
Are we serious?
Or we are just doing something to represent something?
Now go and see if you can find the magazine at your news stand.
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Writers and Shakespeares Ghana Limited exists to be a moral and intellectual guide to the best practice of PR and integrated communications around the world, beginning with Ghana.