The Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture has entreated Africans in the diaspora to leverage tourism as an inclusive growth to visit Ghana as part of government’s flagship ‘Beyond the Return’ programme.
Speaking at the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Day celebrations in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, Tourism Minister, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, touted Ghana as one of the most peaceful countries in Africa with a favourable investment climate and a proactive leadership.
He called on the UNWTO to spearhead the effort in assisting to developing countries to acquire more vaccines in order to re-strengthen the confidence of international tourists.
Dr. Awal reiterated Ghana’s commitment to the progress of international tourism and said programmes such as the ‘Year of Return’ and ‘Beyond the Return’ are a testament to that commitment.
The Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili said the achieve inclusiveness in tourism, there is the need for political and economic commitment and action to invest in people and places to make the real difference.
Mr. Pololikashvili explained that inclusivity means that everyone who has a stake in tourism should also have a say in the sector’s future. “The political commitment is evident in the large ministerial representation of Ministers at the celebration, which indicates the highest on record for an official World Tourism Day celebration,” he said.
The event in Ghana
In Ghana, the celebrations were held at Wli in the Hohoe District of the Volta Region, with dignitaries from the Ministry, the Ghana Tourism Authority, Volta Regional Coordinating Council and other stakeholders in the tourism sector.
Deputy Tourism Minister, Mark Okraku Mantey, eulogized tourism’s contribution to Ghana’s GDP and appealed to stakeholders to take stock and highlight a participatory approach to creating and sharing tourism wealth for poverty reduction, decency in living standards, and livelihoods security. He said the Ministry is committed to ensuring that the sector thrive, even in the pandemic in order to enhance and build on the existing growth.
Deputy CEO of GTA, Ekow Sampson, the GTA in its quest to further develop tourism in the Volta Region, has signed an MoU with a number of communities in the region to develop and upgrade some notable tourist sites.
“Last year, we upgraded the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary and Cultural Village and supported the Afadjato Tourism Enclave with a grant under the Ghana Tourism Development project. Interestingly, most of these sites are community based and therefore linked to the participatory approach and inclusiveness,” he said.
