TOURISM sector and industry is an outstanding resilient, dynamic, broad, multi-purpose and modern multi-million dollar universal industry which is founded on man-made, natural, heritage and cultural resources.
It stands taller among new and modern competitive and strategies socio-economic endeavours and industries that have become very indispensable in the global socio-economic order and outlook and competes favourably equally with stronger universal industries and vocations as an outstanding peerless and super modern universal industry.
It has been the largest, biggest and fastest growing industry around the world, since the turn of the millennium, contributing a huge chunk to the overall the global gross product (GDP) and has become the main and crucial sector which has transformed and turn around the fortunes of many economies from the developing and developed divides, until the outbreak of the corona virus (covid-19) in late 2019, which disrupted and scuttled the robust and dynamic industry.
Socio-Economic Game Changer
Tourism is not a delicate and sensitive mysterious rocket science and myth but holistic, innovation, activation and creative packaging and promotion of man-made, natural, cultural and heritage resources with strict application and compliance with UNWTO Best Industry Practices, Rules and Regulations including the identification and the involvement of all identified key and strategic industry players and stakeholders from across the public and private sector players and partners, regulators, funding, investments, investors, employees, consumers and other identified publics.
It stands tall as the fastest, biggest and the largest emerging modern industry across the world since the turn of the millennium over two decades ago. It is an outstanding robust and very dynamic peerless industry, which has recorded improved and sustained growth, strengthened, consolidated as well as turn around the socio-economic fortunes and contributed a huge chunk of the gross domestic product (GDP) of many emerging, challenged, developing and developing economies around the world over the years.
Ghana’s Potential
Ghana boasts of and has an enviable national tourism potential in all man-made, natural, cultural and heritage four broad main tourism key subsector resources and industries, which are fairly dotted across the length and breadth of the Motherland.
Notable among Ghana’s attractive national tourism resources are the Meridian and Latitude 0 at Tema, in the Tema Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region, the exact Centre of Our Motherland Ghana in the Kintampo Municipality in the Bono East Region. Notable among Ghana’s great tourism resources include the Volta Lake, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, the Volta River Authority (V.R.A.) and Ghana’s national hydro-electric head works at Akosombo in the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region, Centre of the World on the Greenwich Meridian landmark in the Tema Metropolis, the Exact Centre of the Republic of Ghana at Kintampo in the Kintampo North Municipality in the Bono East Region, West Africa’s tallest Waterfalls at Wli near Hohoe in the Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region, the Biggest Tree in West Africa in Asene-Akroso District in the Eastern Region, the Highest Human Habitation Point of the Motherland at Amdezofe in the Volta Region, Ghana Southernmost Point at Cape Three Points in the Western Region, endless beautiful beachfront ,wildlife, lots of diverse and attractive beautiful and rich national cultural festivals.
In spite of above resources Ghana is yet to break into the league of prominent and competitive international tourism traffic attracting hubs and attractive competitive destinations league, however, the country has shown bright tourism future with consistent annual improved and impressive national growth in both revenue receipts and visitor numbers , especially from 1993 until the outbreak of the debilitating and devastating corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic in late 2019, which has brought Ghana’s infant and fledging industry and the world at large to its lowest knees.
Development Trajectory
Ghana has a burgeoning infant tourism industry, which has seen and recorded sustained and improved growth, especially from 1990s to date as a result of cutting edge national tourism development initiatives over the years.
Sector Laws
Tourism is a competitive universal industry which is founded on man-made, natural, cultural and heritage resources.
The four broad tourism resource classifications does not automatically translate into prominent and competitive cash-cow destinations. Cash-cow and competitive destinations are consciously activated with cutting edge laws and policies, as a result legislations and legal regimes (L&Rs) are very crucial to the health and progress of competitive industries, professions and vocations including tourism, trade, agriculture and others in the world.
The Ghanaian tourism sector and industry does not have a sole industry law but has a number of pieces of enactments on its statutes as suitable and applicable so far the conduct and operation of business in the Ghanaian burgeoning tourism space business is concerned. Notable among the applicable enactments and laws included the National Museums and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board Law, (GMMB) Act 1969, NLCD 387, the National Commission on Culture Law 1990, Provisional National Defence Council Law (PNDCL) 238, the Chieftaincy Act (CA) 2008, Act 759, and the Culture Policy and Cultural Trust Fund Policy (CP&CTFP) Document 2004.
The rest are the Tourism Act (CA) 2011, Act 817, the Film Development, Classification, (FD&C), National Film Authority (NFA) and Film Development Fund (FDF) Act 2016, Act 925 and the Creative Arts Agency (CAA) and Creative Arts Industry Development Fund (CAIDF) Act 2020, Act 1048 are relevant and applicable tourism and or tourism-subsector related laws that a pply as far as the conduct.
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