Whose culture are we selling?

Tourism is one of Ghana's most promising industries, offering opportunities for job creation, trade, and cultural visibility. Since independence, the nation has grappled with how to modernise while preserving its heritage.

As digital platforms increasingly mediate how culture is packaged, marketed and consumed by visitors, questions of ownership, consent and fair compensation for communities whose traditions are showcased become urgent legal and ethical issues.

Who controls the digital representation of a shrine, a festival, or a craft technique once it is uploaded, licensed and monetised online? IT law has a growing role to play in answering that question — from intellectual property protections for cultural heritage to data and image rights for the communities involved.