The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has awarded twenty-seven enterprises and seven personalities at the 2018 National Tourism Awards held in Accra last week.
Addressing dignitaries at the event, President Akufo-Addo who was the guest of honour, tasked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to build on the country’s Pan-African tourism legacies.
He said “the pan-African legacy of our early leaders has never been in doubt and I have tasked the ministry and the Tourism Authority to build on this legacy and make Ghana a true heritage pilgrimage destination for our brothers and sisters from the diaspora.”
He described the tourism sector as one of the most important sectors of the Ghanaian economy and spoke about the interventions his administration has put in place to further develop the sector.
The Tourism Authority has reported gains and growth across several indices visitor arrivals, per capita spend of visitors, number of establishments, number of tourist’s facilities etc since we assumed the reins of government.” The president explained that “I am also aware of several tourist sites improvement programs such as the Axim Fort St.
Antonio project, Assin Manso Slave River project, Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, Bunso Aboretrem, Kintampo waterfalls and the Elmina Heritage Bay project.”
He added that “this with the ongoing destination single window automation programme and the marketing programmes ‘Visit Ghana, See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana and Feel Ghana’ are all part of integral plans to transform the sector.
The President noted that the ongoing US$40 million World Bank Tourism development programme is also an added bonus to this drive to make our tourism sector grow.” He stressed that “tourism is a multi-sector industry and the various other sectors roads, skills development, sanitation, aviation and the visa regime are all being tackled in a multi-sectoral way for the needed impact.”
