All Is Set For Third PANAFEST - Committee

Cape Coast - Planning committees and utility agencies in the Cape Coast municipality say all is set for the third edition of the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST), which opens next August. With barely 90 days left, heads of departments and most of the field sub-committees working on Panafest '97 say telecommunications, accommodation, transport, catering services and sanitary facilities are adequate and ready to contain the anticipated influx of local and foreign visitors into the region.

Lack of co-ordination and the inadequacy of standard accommodation, communication and transportation were some of the setbacks of the last festival - Panafest '94. These problems notwithstanding, Panafest '94 enjoyed participation from no less than 4,000 foreigners from some 32 countries across the world. This year, however, nearly two times that number of participants and foreign visitors are expected to show up in Cape Coast and Elmina. Mr Sampson Donkoh, Central Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, told newsmen that Cape Coast and the neighbouring towns within the festival zone have almost doubled their hotel bedding capacities and improved standards considerably. Mr Donkoh, who is the Chairman of the Panafest sub-committee on catering and accommodation, said some 22 hotels are ready in the regional capital and towns within the radius of 30 kilometres for the 10-day festival.