Tourism Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare says her outfit is taking strategic steps to boost European interest in Ghana’s tourism industry.

The minister is currently leading a delegation to participate in the ongoing 2015 Vakantiebeurs Tourism fair in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

The fair is the main consumer travel show in the Netherlands recording over 122,000 visitors in 2014.

The dedicated Trade-Day allows industry partners to explore business opportunities within the Dutch market whilst selling the tourism prospects in their respective countries to the European market and beyond.

Ghana’s delegation includes Directors from the Ministry, officials from the Ghana Tourism Authority, Forestry Commission and the Private Sector Development.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare with some of the participants 

According to Madam Ofosu-Adjare, Ghana’s participation in the event is part of efforts to promote the local art, culture and tourism industry to the global market for investments. 

Speaking in an interview at the event, Madam Ofosu Adjare noted the response has so far been impressive.

“There are a lot of people who travel from here to other parts of Africa but it is true that we’re not getting the required number of tourists from the Netherlands. So we’re here this year to show the people what we have in Ghana and I think that in earnest, we’ve started promoting international tourism 2015 as part of our mandate and it’s been so successful.

“We’ve been able to sell Ghana to a lot of people, many have asked questions and we’ve shown them what to expect when they come to Ghana. We are also in league with big travel operators for them to add Ghana to their list of countries they promote. We have also served Ghanaian dishes which people have enjoyed. We have brought creative arts to Holland”, she added

This is coming after a similar impressive showing at the World Travel Market 2014, in Excel, London where participants thronged the Ghana stand to familiarize themselves with the country’s tourism resources and had a special moment during the Ghana Day Celebrations.