Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku, Tuesday, stormed the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and distributed free Golden Tree chocolates to passengers on arrival.

She told Parliament in a statement prior to making the move that the gesture is to introduce the Ghanaian brand of chocolate to arriving passengers, especially, visitors and tourists to the country’s hospitality sector.

The initiative she added forms part of the activities marking this year’s Chocofest celebration which focuses on the promotion of domestic tourism.

In addition to the free distribution of the Golden Tree chocolate, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and other stakeholders will “soon cut the sod for the construction of a befitting museum in honour of the late Tetteh Quarshie, the man who brought cocoa to Ghana at the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm at Akwapim-Mampong.

The celebration of the National Chocolate Day, dubbed: “Chocofest” was instituted in 2005 by the then Minister for Tourism and the Modernization of the Capital City, the late Honourable Jake Obetsebi Lamptey to coincide with the celebration of Valentine’s Day.

The celebration of the Chocofest is to showcase the country’s cocoa heritage as a veritable tourist product by the promotion of domestic tours centered around cocoa.

It also aims at reshaping the celebration of Valentine’s Day in the country, by giving the event a healthier and nationalistic focus by promoting the local consumption of chocolate and other made in Ghana cocoa-based products.

Chocofest also aims at promoting domestic tourism and drive interest in Ghanaians.