The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is paying attention to key tourist attractions by giving them a facelift in the ‘The Year of Return 2019.’
The country was named the 4th out of 19 places to visit compiled by American television network, CNN Travel.
The Kakum National Park, Cape Coast and Elmina Castles will be worked on to bring it up to scratch in line with international standards.
Marketing Manager of the Ghana Tourist Authority (GTA), Mr. Ben Anane-Nsiah, mentioned roads leading to the tourists destinations will be upgraded and those with no motorable roads will be fixed adding basic facilities such as reception centres, rest rooms and lodges will all be ready before the guests stream in.
He submitted, the Paga Crocodile Pond in the Upper East Region will see an upgrade while tourist Centres in the Volta Region will be attended to in addition to restoring castles on Ghana’s coastal line.
According to the tourist authority manager, it will defeat the purpose of being equipped and ready for the increased volume this year if facilities are upgraded or constructed yet players to interact with the tourists do not undergo training and capacity building to enable give proper historical perspectives on tours.
“It’s good to have good infrastructure but service is critical if we are to be a world star,” he rendered. He stated there are projections that by 2027, 4 million tourists would have been to Ghana.
Pan-African Historical Festival or PANAFEST, a cultural event with intentions of increasing the notion of Pan-Africanism and African development celebrated with Emancipation Day largely takes place at Elmina and Cape Coast were the largest slave-trading forts in the country are situated.
Meanwhile the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture and the Diaspora Affairs Unit at the Office of the President, have endorsed 34 events and activities to mark ‘The Year of Return 2019’ celebrating 400 years since the first enslaved Africans first arrived in North America in 1619.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA); Akwasi Agyeman is hopeful at least 500 million ‘diasporians’ with African ancestry will be in the country this year.
The initiative is a partnership with the Panafest Foundation, Office of Diaspora Relations at the Presidency, the Adinkra Group of USA and the African American Association of Ghana.
A homecoming summit targeting second and third generation Ghanaians in the diaspora, Panafest and Emancipation will be held in July with an African American Investment Forum held in August 2019. November will see the Ghana Carnival climaxed with Afrochella in December.
By Michael Eli Dokosi/goldstreetbusiness.com
