By Jones Anlimah
The fifth edition of the Vodza Easter Regatta has been launched in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, with stakeholders highlighting the festival’s growing role in promoting eco-tourism and creating economic opportunities for coastal communities.
The event, held at Vodza, brought together officials from the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Keta Municipal Assembly, community leaders and residents.
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Vodza Ecotourism Initiative, Mrs Bridget Katsriku, described the launch as a historic milestone in the evolution of the regatta.
“This is the first time in the five years of our regatta that we are doing a formal launch,” she said. “This signifies a turning point and the beginning of a new phase in the organisation of the regatta.”
Mrs Katsriku explained that the initiative was conceived as a response to declining fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean, which has affected the livelihoods of many coastal fishing communities.
“Due to the depletion of the Atlantic Ocean of fish stock, the Vodza community and other communities along the coast of the Volta Region are facing abject poverty,” she said.
She however noted that the area possesses untapped tourism potential. “Our pristine beaches, lagoons, islands, fishermen and culture are not just heritage, they are opportunities to create dignified livelihoods through tourism,” she stated.
She said the regatta, which began as a simple canoe competition among local fishermen and youth, has gradually evolved into a credible tourism product attracting domestic and diaspora visitors.
Mrs Katsriku added that the Ghana Tourism Authority had recently assessed the area and recognised the potential of the Vodza and Keta enclave as an integrated eco-tourism destination.
“This enclave offers a unique tourism opportunity that combines water-based recreation, cultural heritage and community enterprise,” she said.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Benjamin Anane Nsiah, praised the community for sustaining the initiative over the past five years. “Your commitment to championing community-based eco-tourism is exactly the grassroots innovation Ghana needs,” he said.
According to him, tourism has the potential to significantly improve livelihoods in the community.
“Initiatives like this create direct livelihoods. The fishmonger gains new customers, the artisan sells their craft, the fisherman becomes a cultural storyteller and our youth find employment,” he said.
Mr Nsiah assured the organisers of the Authority’s support, stressing that the GTA would work closely with the community to strengthen the festival and expand tourism opportunities in the area.
“We are not here to direct you. We are here to work with you. Our partnership demonstrates our commitment to decentralise tourism development and empower communities to own their narratives,” he added.
He also indicated that the Authority envisions a broader tourism corridor across the southern Volta Region, linking attractions from Anyanui to Aflao.
Keta Municipal Chief Executive Mr Wisdom Bondieu Seade also reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to supporting the regatta and promoting tourism development in the municipality.
“It is time for us to explore our natural endowment in the area of ecotourism,” he said, noting the area’s beautiful beaches, islands and lagoons.
Mr Seade said investments in tourism could create jobs for young people and open new opportunities for local businesses.
He further called for greater collaboration among communities around the Keta Lagoon to broaden the scope of the festival.
“We should involve all the communities around the lagoon so that the people of Keta will own the project, develop it and make it bigger and better,” he said.
The Vodza Easter Regatta has grown into a multi-day cultural and sporting festival featuring canoe races, cultural performances, food exhibitions and other tourism-related activities held during the Easter period.
Organisers say the 2026 edition is expected to attract more visitors as efforts intensify to position the festival as a major eco-tourism event on Ghana’s tourism calendar.
