Kids in Tourism (KIT) Ghana, a Tourism Club in partnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has crowned the first Junior Tourism Ambassador 2019 to spearhead the promotion of the culture, values and tourism of the nation by kids.

The Ambassador, Peggy Osei Agyeman of May Jingle Bells Basic School was tasked among other duties to defend the nation and its cultural values.

Marzuk Fuseini of Anta Academy emerged the first runner up, Angela Dankwa of Starlet Preparatory School was awarded as the second runner up and Johan Fairbanks of Atomic Hills Presbyterian School as the third runner up.

The Ambassador was chosen from a quiz competition organised for children, each representing the 16 regions on topics like, “Knowing Ghana/Brief on Tourism potentials within each region, identifying a unique cultural activity in each region and the contestant’s vision for 2019/20 Junior Tourism Ambassador Contest.”

Children who participated in the contest, which was part of the celebration of the “Year of Return” by the country, were between the ages of six and 14 years.

The event was adorned with performances by the kids such as recitals on tourism potential in Ghana, singing inspirational songs, cultural dances, choreography, cadet parade display, recitals on sanitation and ‘Wear Ghana’ show.

Mr Akwasi Agyemang, the Chief Executive Officer of the GTA in an address delivered on his behalf, commended Kids in Tourism for organising the contest for children to showcase the level of their patriotism for Ghana’s culture.

He encouraged the private sector to get involved in programmes that exhibited the rich culture of the land to promote tourism.

He appreciated teachers of schools that had tourism clubs for their contribution towards the promotion of culture and tourism, saying, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as well as the GTA would continue to support their agenda.

Ms Jasmine Anane, an 11-year-old pupil of the Ghana International School and a Brand Ambassador for Kids in Tourism Ghana, said the Club currently, had a membership base of over 5,800 children spread across the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, and Central Regions.

The vision of the Club, she said, was to position kids to accept the country’s rich culture, appreciate its unique tourist attractions and contribute to the development of Ghana tourism and the economy by participating in its various activities.

“KIT Ghana has undertaken programmes such as Knowing Ghana (quizzes and debates), Sanitation programmes, Wear Ghana/Culture Day in schools, Excursions to various tourist sites in Ghana, Resource Meetings, Participating in Cultural Festivals outside Ghana and Annual Kids Tourism Fairs,” she said.

Ms Jasmine disclosed that this year’s “Annual Kids in Tourism Fair” in collaboration with the “Year of Return” would be held from November 29 to 30, with other children from the Diaspora at the Efua Sutherland Children’s park.

Mr Thomas Okyere, the Botswana Honorary Consul said such cultural promotion programmes helped to attract tourists to generate revenue for a State. He said it also helped the kids to identify who they truly were, where they were from and appreciated what they had.

“Children are great influencers of tourism because they influence their parents with the choice of places they want to visit, and as well influence places they visit because they can recommend those places to others,” he said.

KIT was initiated on February 12, 2015, and officially launched on December 12, 2019, in Accra.

The aim of KIT Ghana is to educate young ones, help them to develop their creativity, expose and instil in them the rich tourism and culture resources of Ghana.