Ms. Blandina Sika Gumenu, a 24-year-old Teacher at the Dodome Tsikor D/A primary school in the Ho-West District of the Volta Region, with the stage name Sika, has been crowned Miss Tourism 2023.

Ms. Gumenu beat stiff competition from nine other poised delegates to win the coveted crown at the well-attended grand finale, which went down, in Accra, over the weekend.

She gets to represent Ghana at this year’s Miss Tourism World pageant as well as receive monthly allowance and souvenirs from the Miss Tourism Ghana Organisation plus souvenirs from sponsors. She would also be a tourism ambassador for a period.

Nana Ama Brown with the stage name, Nana was adjudged the first runner-up with Ms Jessica Mardoxia Oxname Kpendo winning the second runner-up position.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Ms. Gumenu said winning the pageant was a dream come true for her and as such promised to use the opportunity to promote and market Ghana’s Domestic Tourism offerings such as our warm culture, heritage, traditions, dance, music, food, where ever she found herself.

Mrs. Delphine Brew-Hammond, Director of Events and Operations at Miss Tourism Ghana, said this year’s pageant was organised with support from the Ghana Tourism Federation, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and stakeholders in the tourism industry.

She said the pageant over the years had solely been dedicated to project Ghana’s tourism sector, and this year’s edition sought to promote the rich cultural heritage and tourist destinations in the country.

This year’s pageant, on the theme “Tourism, the heart of Ghana, keep Ghana clean,” was billed to highlight tourism as the “Heart of Ghana” to inculcate in people the need to love and promote tourism in the country.

Mrs Brew-Hammond said the vision was to show off Ghana as a premiere travel destination by training young ladies to act as Ambassadors, representing Ghana’s rich and varied regional cultures, attending festivals and celebrations, as well as touring many historic landmarks.”

She was glad the women had made her proud and expressed appreciation to the judges for their carefully calculated judgements with respect to the performances of the contestants.

Mr. Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Head of Corporate Affairs for the Ghana Tourism Authority, said Miss Tourism offered the opportunity for Ghana’s domestic tourism promotion and marketing to be brought to the doorstep of Ghanaians, which includes campaigns such as See Ghana, EAT Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana, Experience Ghana, and Share Ghana / Destination Ghana Project

He said over the years, the pageant had educated young women and the public on the country’s culture, history, traditions heritage such as music, food, clothes, tourist sites and attractions across the country. “It serves as a marketing and promotional tool for our tourism product offerings.”