Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey has said that having implemented many intervention programmes, the Ministry is very optimistic that the industry will register significant growth.

The Deputy Minister, who was speaking at a ceremony to mark World Tourism Day at Wli Afegame in the Hohoe Municipality, noted that the various interventions being rolled out will also help reduce poverty.

He spoke on the theme "Tourism for inclusive growth" and noted that the Ministry is working hard in collaboration with its partners to make sure that the interventions are implemented on time.

Mr Okraku-Mantey noted that the National Tourism Window Destination Project, Presidential Film Pitch Series, Regional Drive and the launch of Beyond the Return, are some of the many interventions introduced by the Ministry.

He said the 'Tourism for Inclusive Growth' initiative is unlocking the potential of the tourism eco-system, the value chain and investments facilitation for sustainable growth in traditionally marginalised communities that have huge tourism and natural resources.

"Tourism for inclusive growth means creating and sharing tourism for poverty reduction and decency in the living standards and livelihoods of many Ghanaians," he stated.

Mr Okraku-Mantey noted that the government is committed to making sure that a lot of programmes are undertaken to give the needed boost to the tourism industry in order to attract investments.

"Volta Region is an incredible epitome of tourism enclave hence the reason to have this year's celebration in the region," he added.

Mr Okraku-Mantey said intensifying the education on tourism and delivering sector-specific training would give Ghanaians the chance of benefiting from tourism's future growth.

The CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, who was also present at the event, said his outfit has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a number of communities in the Volta Region to develop and upgrade the region.

He added that the Authority is committed to making sure there is a continuous development of tourism in the country.

Mr Agyeman revealed that the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary was upgraded and support was given to Afadjato through the Tourism Authority Grant.

"I believe the development of Ghana and the Volta Region could be accelerated if the agriculture sector, for example, is given a chance and urgent attention," Mr Agyeman said.

Tourism, he added, continues to contribute substantially to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country and creating jobs.

Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, also touted the region as a tourism hub for Ghana and therefore has all it takes to continue contributing to the development of country.

However, the deployment of tourism in the Volta Region has been slow, a situation he said must change.

Dr. Letsa noted that it is necessary for both private and public institutions to collaborative in promoting the tourism potential of the region. 

He commended the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the Ghana Tourism Authority for their active roles in putting the country's tourism potential in the limelight across the world. He called on them to improve on the tourism capabilities of the Volta Region.

He assured the two institutions of the readiness of the region and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council to continue to collaborate with and give them the necessary support for tourism development and promotion in the region.