We can transform Ghana’s tourism industry with our music and art – Zapp Mallet

Veteran Ghanaian recording engineer and record producer, Zapp Mallet has emphatically stated that Ghana can change its tourism fortunes through the music and art industry.

According to him, there is a lot Ghana can do with its music and arts industry to make the tourism industry better “but unfortunately we are not seizing the opportunity.”

He disclosed, “Unfortunately, we haven’t done enough with our music and tourism industry.”

In an interview with Rev Erskine on Y 107.9 FM’s Y Leaderboard Series he shared, “I had the opportunity to listen to an interview on BBC and they asked someone’s thoughts on why their country’s tourism industry’s fortunes had dwindled and he attributed it to the change happening in their music scene. He said the new generation was changing their style of music.”

Zapp Mallet believes that most tourists come into a country to listen to their music because, “If they wanted to listen to Beyonce or Jay Z, they’ll go to America but if they come to Ghana, it means they want to listen to the kind of music being produced here.”

He went on to say that beyond that, music itself can bring tourists into the country because, “even if we don’t hear it in the country those out there can because, “Music travels faster than a lot of things and can sell the country.”

Citing an example he said, “For instance a tourist coming into Ghana will not come to find out our GDP, they will not come to our Ministry of Finance or Energy for anything. They will rather look out for our music and movies.”

He believes, it is music and Hollywood that made America what it is today and now Nigerians are also trying to use music and movies to rebrand their country.

“Upon all the negative notions people had about Nigeria, they’re trying to change it with music and the arts which we also need to do because that’s how we’re going to transform Ghana's tourism,” he shared.

He believes that if we can transform our movie and music industry with high quality ones to match up Netflix and the others then, we can improve our tourism industry.

“We should not be thinking that because Ghanaians like it, everyone else will like it. Somethings that are accepted in Ghana don’t even cross the Aflao border so there’s more we can do.”