Ghana commemorated World Tourism Day 2025 with a colourful celebration of the Some Tutuza Festival in the Volta Region, spotlighting the role of culture and tourism in advancing peace, unity, and economic development. The global theme for this year’s event was “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.”
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, led the national observance at the Agbozume School Park, where a grand durbar brought together chiefs, government officials, and citizens from the Aflao, Some, and Klikor traditional areas.
“Every visitor who enters Ghana through Aflao first experiences the warmth, hospitality, and cultural richness of our people. We must showcase our community as a place of opportunity, unity, and peace,” the Minister said, stressing the need to invest in cultural festivals as vehicles for pride and development.
Delivering President John Dramani Mahama’s message in his absence, Dr Goosie Tannoh, Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, commended the people of Some for preserving their heritage while fostering peace.
“This festival is a living testimony to our ancestors’ generosity and our people’s courage to build a peaceful future,” Dr Tannoh noted. He further highlighted the government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy Programme, which aims to support youth in creative arts, agro-processing, and cooperative enterprises through innovation and infrastructure.
Observed under the theme “Consolidating Peace and Unity for Social, Cultural, and Economic Development,” this year’s Some Tutuza Festival featured traditional rites, cultural displays, and dialogue sessions that reinforced the Volta Region’s rich heritage and its role in Ghana’s tourism agenda.
Torgbuiga Adamah III, President of the Some Traditional Area, expressed gratitude to the government for its support. He commended President Mahama for his visionary leadership and applauded the Tourism Minister for choosing the Volta Region to host the national celebrations. Both were honoured by the people of Some for their contributions.
The festival attracted high-profile guests, including National Democratic Congress Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, directors of the Ministry of Tourism, agency heads, traditional leaders, and other dignitaries.
The Some Tutuza Festival, which commemorates the historic migration of the Some people from Keta, remains a vital symbol of cultural revival and community pride. It also serves as an avenue for economic growth through cultural tourism.
By merging World Tourism Day with the festival, organisers sought to amplify Ghana’s global cultural visibility, deepen cross-cultural exchange, and promote tourism as a driver of national development.