Tourism Minister Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal says about ¢350 million is to be expended to modernise tourist attractions across the country.
The government, he said, with support from the World Bank, was providing funding for the project, in line with its commitment to make the sector a veritable tool for economic transformation by 2023.
"It will contribute to job creation and wealth for the people. According to the World Bank, two out of every 10 jobs are created by the tourism sector," Dr Awal said.
The Minister, who was addressing the media in Accra yesterday, added that so far ¢1.5m of the funds had been spent on rehabilitating the National Museum.
Present at the press conference were the Deputy Tourism Minister, Mark Okraku-Mantey; the Project Coordinator, Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP), Nana Sarfo Kantanka; the
Chief Director of the Ministry, John Yao Agbeko
Others are the CEO of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Edna Nyame; the Executive Director of the National Theatre, Amy Frimpong; the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman, and the CEO of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah.
Beneficiaries
Some of the sites to benefit from the modernisation project are the Pikworo Heritage and Slave Camp, the Bonwire Kente Museum, the Yaa Asantewaa Museum in Ejisu, the National Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
Others are the Elmina Castle, the Kakum, the Shai Hills and the Mole National parks; the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre and the construction of five multipurpose domes or amphitheatres for performances within the creative arts space.
Significance
According to Dr Awal, the country had a comparative advantage in the tourism and hospitality industry in West Africa, hence investing and giving the sector a facelift was necessary.
"About 65 per cent of all edifices used during the slave trade are located in the country and is used to boost heritage tourism.
"Ghana is also a host to the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which position's the country as a venue for meetings, conferences and events," he said.
The Minister added that the country was not only at the centre of the world but was also politically stable and an attractive investment destination.
He further said his outfit is determined to be the number one contributor to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), for which reason "we are building capacity in customer care, domestic and international tourism drive and product development".
According to him, there were 534,711 domestic tourism visitations from January to September 2022, compared to 334,921 visitations in the same period in 2021, saying "our projection is to achieve one million domestic tourists by the end of 2022".
Dr Awal also said some policies would be reviewed to serve the industry better.
He further said the ministry was working towards making the country a "hub of enjoyment" in December this year.
Latest Stories
-
Ghanaians must assess the quality of political leaders presented – Asah-Asante
7 seconds -
Ashanti Regional Minister demands withdrawal of ‘fraudulent ECG bills’ sent to his residence
19 mins -
Delta Air Lines deploys new Airbus on Accra-New York route
25 mins -
PPDC spearheads Africa’s AI development at DRIF24 forum
33 mins -
Ripoti App launched to empower journalists, others to tackle digital rights violations in Africa
49 mins -
Ground-breaking health investment charter to tackle worker shortages in Africa
54 mins -
From Mortuary to Matrimony: Feature on how couple’s love journey brewed at the morgue airs on Joy Prime
1 hour -
Ghana’s LPG prices rank among the highest globally – LPG Marketers Association
1 hour -
Filth Exhibition: Residents near Korle Gonno bear the brunt of nationwide filth
1 hour -
We’ve not selected NPP members as returning officers – EC replies Mahama
2 hours -
We’ll not honour any invitation – ECG tells Ashanti Regional Minister
2 hours -
Dumsor vigil to hit Accra
2 hours -
Supreme Court rule for dual citizens to hold other key positions laudable – Kwaku Asare
3 hours -
‘No one is above the law’ – CAF president on match-fixing allegations against Samuel Eto’o
3 hours -
Manchester City thrash Brighton to go second in table
3 hours