On the night of 18th May 2019, what was expected to be an eventful night to celebrate Ghana’s music and sell the country to the outside world turned out to be one of the worst nights in Ghana’s creative arts history.
Two of the biggest artists in Ghana, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale, got embroiled in what could have escalated into a full blown fight between crews of the two artists at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2019 (VGMA 2019).
While the incident has been condemned by the public, the consequences of it are far reaching than we thought, especially on the tourism sector.
The event was telecast live on DSTV with the hope of showcasing Ghana’s culture to the rest of Africa, instead, viewers across the continent witnessed an event filled with chaos and disruption. This could affect the perception of other nationals towards Ghana and greatly influence their decision in considering Ghana as a tourist destination.
And after witnessing the brawl on television, Ghana could very well not be the place they would include in their list of places to visit.
Even more damaging is the fact that there were foreign dignitaries from other countries present at the event. There was a delegation from Barbados Tourism Ministry, a delegation from the U.S Embassy in Ghana and others. All these dignitaries witnessed the chaotic scene which graced the event and would go back to their respective
countries to tell their people about their horrible experience in Ghana.
In a year dubbed the Year of Return, the Action of two artists could cause Ghana so much in terms of attracting tourists and boosting tourism in Ghana.
Stonebwoy was named by Jetsanza.com as one of the brands that sells Ghana abroad.
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