Yvonne To Sell Ghana In China

By William A. Asiedu

The First Royale Events Company, franchise holders of the Miss Tourism Queen International pageant, has nominated 19-year-old former beauty contestant, Yvonne Kofigah, to represent Ghana at this year’s event scheduled to run from August 7 to 30 in Zhengzhou, China.

This is the third consecutive year that Ghana is sending a delegate to what has been described as the biggest tourism and beauty festival in the world, in terms of the number of contestants, media personnel and officials that the show attracts from around the world annually.

TV3’s Ghana’s Most Beautiful winner, Lena Ama Acquah represented Ghana in 2007. Last year, sleek model and runner-up in the Exquisite Face of the Universe 2008 contest, Nana Yaa Adadewa Addo, was there for Ghana.

According to the Singapore-based organisers of the Chinese show, Exclusive Resources Marketing Limited, “over 110 beauties from around the world will travel to exciting China, where they will compete as tourism ambassadresses for their respective countries”.

The numerous segments of the month-long festival offer the contestants the platform to sell various tourism products from their countries, while promoting world peace through networking, cultural exchanges and friendship.

The Miss Tourism Queen International show was founded by Mr Charlie See in 1949 and then, there have been more than 80 countries occasionally holding this competition for their Miss Tourism National Queen.

In 1993, the Miss Tourism Queen International Organisation held the first world final competition in Sri Lanka, and later in USA, Russia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and in many other countries. The Miss Tourism Queen International contest has been held in China for six years from 2004 to 2009.

In 2004, there were 55 delegates participating with India's Zabina Khan winning the crown. In 2005, there were 72 delegates with Greece's Nikoletta Ralli winning the top prize. In the 2006, 86 delegates participated and the contest was won by Justine Giabonza from the Philippines. In 2007, the contestant participation passed the 100 countries mark, as 108 countries participated. Olga Zarubina from Russia was the winner.

In 2008, the event chalked a record breaking participation in a single pageant with 113 delegates taking part. Silvia Cornejo of Peru won the contest.