Government has made considerable progress toward achieving the targetted 1.2 million tourists for this year, with goal of creating some 150,000 jobs in the tourism value chain.
The goal, according to Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, also seeks to create strategies that will bring 2 million foreign visitors and 1.5 million in domestic tourism by 2025.
Reading the 2023 mid-year budget review in parliament, Mr. Ofori-Atta said the move is part of processes to make tourism a top earner and employment avenue for Ghana.
Indeed, the renovation of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is expected to contribute to these expected numbers this year and rise significantly by 2025.
“The goal is to complement the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which was redeveloped and modernised with support from the World Bank and other development partners, to achieve the targets. The redeveloped park will boost domestic and heritage tourism, and is expected to attract over one million tourists annually,” he explained.
He also said government will continue with the redevelopment of Aburi Botanical Gardens, Salaga and Pikworo Slave Camps, and the Yaa Asantewaa Mausoleum to boost current visitor numbers.
It is expected that renovating these facilities and edifices will create direct and indirect employment and jobs across the value chain in hotels, food businesses, tour guiding, site guiding and car rentals among others.
With this, it is anticipated that government will work closely with the private sector to improve key tourist sites and events as part of the ‘Beyond the Year of Return’ initiative.
To make the country West Africa’s tourism hub, Mr. Ofori Atta said, a domestic and regional tourism campaign dubbed ‘Experience Ghana, Share Ghana” will be intensified across the country.
It is also expected that designated forts, castles and museums across the country will be renovated in partnership with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), to complement government’s efforts at making the country a tourism hub.
