Balancing profit and preservation: Study flags cultural shifts linked to festival tourism in Anomabo

A recent academic study has raised concerns about the cultural impact of festival-led tourism in Ghana, using the renowned Okyir Festival in Anomabo as a case study.

Sponsored by energy firm HUSS Petroleum, the research was conducted by Dr. Theophilus Gyepi-Garbrah of the University of Gold Coast and Professor Alexander Preko of the University of Professional Studies, Accra. It examines how the festival’s growing commercial appeal is reshaping local traditions and social behaviour.

The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods, with data collected in November 2025 through community engagement and resident interviews aimed at understanding shifting cultural dynamics associated with the annual event.

Findings were presented on January 21, 2026 at a stakeholder validation forum attended by festival organisers, assembly members, traditional leaders, youth groups, fire and tourism officials, and other community actors. Participants reviewed the research outcomes and offered practical recommendations to address emerging challenges. As a follow-up, the researchers plan a community education programme in October, targeting schoolchildren and youth, with a focus on safety and responsible conduct during the festival period.

While the Okyir Festival, celebrated by the people of Anomabo in the Central Region, has stimulated local economic activity and strengthened communal pride, the study identifies unintended social consequences. These include rising alcohol and drug use, increased teenage pregnancies and a gradual erosion of traditional cultural practices, particularly among young people.

“We are witnessing a shift from cultural celebration to entertainment-driven consumption,” Professor Preko observed. “Traditional expressions are being diluted as younger participants adopt external fashions and behaviours that are sometimes at odds with Anomabo’s heritage.”

The research attributes these trends partly to the ‘demonstration effect’, whereby residents imitate the behaviour of visiting tourists, both positive and negative. Respondents expressed concern about the declining authority of elders and the diminishing role of rituals that once anchored communal life.

Dr. Gyepi-Garbrah emphasised the need to reinvest festival-generated revenues into education and cultural revitalisation initiatives, noting that economic gains should not undermine cultural identity.

“Tourism must support development without eroding the very heritage that attracts visitors,” he said.

Among its recommendations, the study calls for strengthened community leadership, targeted youth sensitisation, updated local by-laws and closer collaboration with NGOs and local institutions. These measures, the authors argue, are essential to preserving cultural integrity while maintaining tourism’s role as a development catalyst.

As Anomabo prepares for future editions of the Okyir Festival, the study urges a more deliberate balance — one that ensures economic opportunity and cultural continuity advance together, rather than at each other’s expense.

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