By Bright Ntramah
President Akufo-Addo has called on stakeholders in the tourism industry to collaborate to make Ghana a world-class tourist destination. This, he said, can be achieved when there is peace and unity in the country.
Speaking at the inaugural Presidential Summit on Tourism at the Peduase Lodge in the Eastern Region, the President called on the citizenry to guard against actions that have the tendency to derail the country’s peaceful co-existence.
The Presidential Summit on Tourism is a two day summit that brings together stakeholders in the tourism industry to explore new approaches to the sector. It will also prioritise national development, job creation, and sustainable tourism.
The summit, themed “rethinking tourism for economic growth and job creation,” is being attended by tourism operators and businesses under the Ghana Tourism Federation, government officials and policymakers, NGO and CSOs, and academia, among others.
It is designed to encourage critical thinking about the future of tourism and its impact on national development, create a platform to explore new approaches to tourism that prioritise sustainability and community involvement.
The Country Director of the World Bank, Pierre Laporte, said the World Bank has supported Ghana’s tourism sector with 40 million dollars. He commended the government for taking bold initiatives to deal with current economic challenges.
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, said the tourism industry has started showing signs of growth after the impact of COVID-19 affected it negatively.
President Akufo-Addo tasked the panellists to focus on the 4ps, preservation, promotion, policy leadership, and partnership. He asked the Ministry of Tourism to ramp up promotional activities to achieve two million international arrivals by 2025, which will result in earnings of four billion dollars. He asked the stakeholders to join hands and position Ghana as a world-class tourist destination.
At the end of the summit, it is expected to increase awareness and understanding of the need for a new approach to tourism.