The Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) will officially begin its ‘Ghana Centre of the World’ project, with an invitational golf tournament at the Tema Country Golf Club on Saturday.
The Tema Country Golf Club facility, has been chosen by the GTDC as one of the three infrastructures to be developed into a world class tourism attraction as part of the Centre of the World Project.
The other facilities to be developed, include the Greenwich Meridian Presbyterian Church and the development of a passenger cruise ship terminal within the habour area.
Barring any technical challenge, final drawings for the three projects is expected to be presented to the GTDC by the architect, Sir David Adjaye, and will take four years to complete after a commercial agreement is signed with a developer.
GTDC’s CEO, Mr. Kwadwo Odame Antwi, told the Goldstreet Business that the redevelopment of the three facilities, which are directly located on the Greenwich Meridian, in Tema, is intended to boost tourism and to position Ghana as the ‘true centre of the world’.
“The positioning of longitude zero and latitude zero, gives us the advantage to place and brand Ghana as the true centre of the world” he said.
The invitational tournament, is intended to serve as an official platform to invite potential investors interested in investing to transform the facility into world class status including the other designated facilities which form part of the project.
Mr. Antwi, explained that the Tema Country Golf Course will be developed into a modern golf resort, with hotels and restaurant facilities while the Presbyterian Church will be advanced into a religious tourism enclave, directly positioned on the Greenwich meridian.
The last project, which is the construction of a cruise ship terminal, is expected to host cruise ship captains and revelers when fully functional.
Captain of the Tema Country Golf Club, Mr. Joseph Nartey, said management of the club is ready to collaborate with the GTDC to execute the project and to turn the facility into a modern tourist facility.
“We want the Tiger Woods and other famous golf players to visit the centre of the world golf course to play here, when the project is completed. Ghana can definitely package the Greenwich line and brand it for tourism purpose” he said.
Many developed countries have used various icons to project and market their countries; France is noted for the Eifel Tower, London noted for the London Eye, and New York – the statue of Liberty.
The ‘Ghana Centre of the World Project’ seeks to position Ghana as the desired and most preferred tourist destination on the continent by translating historical facts into tangible monumental structures to boost tourism.
By Wisdom Jonny-Nuekpe