The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) says it will work to widen the nation’s foreign exchange earnings, projecting to generate US$6 million through arrivals by 2026.

The sector minister, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, said that in 2022, the one million tourist arrivals fetched the nation about US$300,000.

Addressing the opening session of a day's media capacity-building workshop on tourism, arts and culture reporting in Kumasi, Dr Awal said the Ministry had targeted to meet 1.2 million tourist arrivals in the country by 2023.

The MoTAC organised the training for participants from the middle zone and was attended by selected journalists and media practitioners drawn from the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.

Besides the huge economic prospects, Dr Awal said domestic tourism could create local employment.

He noted that with the support of the media, the ministry could create about 150,000 local jobs every year.

He therefore implored the media to help identify, package and put a spotlight on the nation’s tourist attraction sites to attract tourists and other investors.

Dr Awal entreated the private sector to develop interest and invest in the nation’s tourism industry to enhance domestic tourism.