The Northern Regional Senior Quality Assurance and Standards Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Frank Owusu-Boakye has called for greater support for local hospitality products to boost job creation, preserve cultural heritage, and enhance economic stability, thereby contributing to the overall well-being of citizens.
Owusu-Boakye made these remarks during the celebration of National Chocolate Day at the Red Clay tourism site in Tamale. The event, part of the 19th series of chocolate day celebrations organized under the auspices of GTA, aimed to promote local consumption of chocolate and encourage exploring and enjoying the attractions of Ghana.
According to Owusu-Boakye, promoting local hospitality providers will not only help maintain cultural traditions but also instill pride in Ghanaian identity.
He underscored the importance of hospitality and tourism industries, including hotels, restaurants and national parks, selling locally-made products such as food, beverages, clothing, and artifacts to promote domestic culture and heritage. This, he believes, will complement the government’s advocacy on the “See, Eat, Wear and Feel Ghana” agenda.
We cannot but only agree with the call because every town needs its local companies since they offer distinctive goods and services that capture the spirit and morals of the area. Supporting local business is vital for many reasons, including boosting the local economy, preserving local culture, and promoting entrepreneurship.
The benefits of supporting local business is crucial for the economic impact of a community. More money stays within the community when you spend at a locally owned business. It spurs economic growth. Local businesses are often owned by people who live in the community and reinvest their profits back into the community. In this case when you support local business, your money stays within the community, and it can be used to create more jobs, attract new businesses, and improve public services.
Small businesses are the largest employers in most communities. It just stands to gain that when one supports small business, you are helping them create more jobs for people in the community. These jobs provide people with income that they can use to support their families and contribute to the local economy.
It is against this background the Paper urges people to patronize local goods and businesses to enable to help grow our economy and improve on the livelihood of the people.
As we enter into March-dubbed GHANA Month, it is imperative that we all align with vision and ideals of the founding fathers to build the country into a strong one. No one will do it for us .
