The maiden edition of Accra Photo Week has ended with a call for relevant stakeholders to do more in promoting local tourism.

The weeklong celebration of photography themed "The Outside Within" emphasised on harnessing the influence of photography to promote domestic tourism.

Speaking at the end of the week-long festival last Saturday, an Executive Director of Remex Communication Dr Carl Nutsugah said although Ghana’s tourism sector seems vibrant and governments over the years have demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting tourism, much has not been achieved at the local level as expected.

He explained that Ghana has made significant revenue from international tourism but the potential of domestic tourism hasn’t been explored much and it was about time certain domestic spots are highlighted.

Dr Nutsugah indicated that Ghana is blessed with tourist sites that have anthropological and commercial value that has been obscured from the rest of the country and by extension the world. He pointed out that these spots can only be discovered when photographers are given the needed support to make such expeditions.

He, therefore, called for stakeholder engagements to raise awareness of the potential and importance of domestic tourism, adding that a vibrant and sustainable domestic tourism sector can play a crucial role in Ghana’s environmental, economic and social development.

The inaugural Photo Week organized by REMEX Communications featured a two-day master class session with some of Ghana’s top photographers, artist-discussion where professional and amateur photographers shared ideas on the transformative role the lens plays in telling the African story and photo walks where participants took part in night photography.

The Photo Exhibition which was a central component of the festival showcased a collection of photographs that included nature, contemporary, architectural landscape, sports, fashion and everyday life and tradition and culture.

Couched in different inspiration and aesthetic qualities the pictures captured a variety of elements with diverse artistic styles that described subjects of photographs without text illustrations.

The Chief Executive Officer and project lead for Remex, Nana Kojo Antwi Kesse said the photographs exhibited reflected Ghana’s photography journey and the awe-inspiring images only go to prove that we have all it takes to continue highlighting the positives and the growth of the country.

"Our goal was to champion a pioneering cause that is capable of using photography to transform the stories we tell. Indeed, some of the images we received during the call for the exhibition was thought-provoking and we believe it can only get better,” he said.

Mr Antwi Kesse noted that the documentation of Ghana’s history through visual story creates a reference point that enables us to keep track of the various timelines of our history and the significance of such files goes beyond viewing and taking stock but has the potential to help address some issues and challenges that have been documented in the past.

The night was climaxed by the Maiden Grand Pixels Photography Awards where 12 deserving photographers who have used their lenses to portray Ghana in a positive light and promoted local tourism were honoured.

The winner of the travel and tourism category received an all-expense-paid trip to Zaina Lodge for a weekend safari trip. All winners of each category received a camera accessory plus a certificate of honour.