Bakatue: The week Elmina does not sleep

Its streets become alive with colour, music and celebration as thousands of residents, tourists and natives living abroad return home for the annual Edina Bakatue Festival, one of Ghana's oldest traditional festivals.

Nana Kwodwo Conduah VI, Omanhen of Elmina before the Bakatue rites last Tuesday This year's celebration, on the theme "Homecoming for Unity, Heritage and Development," is once again breathing fresh life into the town, turning every corner into a blend of history, culture, tourism and business.

Tourism and cultural identity Speaking during the celebration, the Central Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Charles Kwaku Boabeng, said festivals such as Bakatue remain important tourism platforms because they allow ors to experience Ghana’s unique creative arts, traditional music, dance and the warmth and hospitality of the Ghanaian people.