The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has launched the 2026 National Heritage Photo Competition and the AfroGastro Festival, two flagship initiatives designed to celebrate Ghana’s cultural identity, preserve national heritage and promote the creative economy.

The photo competition, themed “Promoting Creativity and Heritage Through the Eyes of the Youth,” is open to young people aged 25 years and below. It aims to encourage participants to document Ghana’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage through photography.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, said the initiatives provide important platforms for showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural and culinary heritage while empowering young people to serve as ambassadors of the country’s traditions.

She noted the success of the maiden edition of the competition, which attracted entries from young photographers across the country.

“The competition encouraged participants to document Ghana’s cultural heritage through photography, capturing festivals, landscapes, crafts, architecture, rituals and everyday life,” she said.

Ms Gomashie said the creativity displayed by participants reaffirmed that “the future of Ghana’s cultural documentation is bright.”

She also congratulated the maiden winner, Kelemne Aduvandepoy, whose photograph captured the historic meeting between the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, symbolising unity, dignity and cultural continuity.

Turning to the AfroGastro Festival, the Minister described it as Ghana’s premier platform for celebrating African culinary heritage. She said this year’s edition would bring together chefs, culinary innovators, food historians, nutritionists, traditional food practitioners, cultural scholars and entrepreneurs from across the continent.

According to her, the festival will focus on indigenous ingredients, forgotten recipes, food as heritage, preventive health and wellbeing, culinary tourism, youth-led innovation and agribusiness opportunities.

Ms Gomashie emphasised that both initiatives form part of government’s broader Black Star Experience agenda, which seeks to promote Ghana’s culture, tourism, fashion, music, dance and creative industries while enhancing national development, social cohesion and global visibility.

She encouraged young people to use their creativity to tell Ghana’s stories and help preserve the nation’s heritage for future generations.

The Director of Human Capital and Institutional Development at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Mr Symerre Grey-Johnson, commended Ghana’s leadership in culture and tourism and pledged the agency’s support to expand AfroGastro into a continental and global platform.

He observed that sectors such as gastronomy, fashion, film, music, sports and digital storytelling have become major drivers of economic growth, entrepreneurship and job creation across Africa.

Mr Grey-Johnson added that African cuisine remains under-documented and under-commercialised despite its global appeal, noting that initiatives such as AfroGastro are helping to reposition gastronomy as a viable industry linked to agriculture, tourism, hospitality, manufacturing and intra-African trade.

He revealed that AUDA-NEPAD plans to deepen its partnership with Ghana to elevate African gastronomy on the continental agenda, and called on stakeholders across Africa to support efforts to preserve and promote the continent’s cultural and culinary heritage.