Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has reaffirmed the government's commitment to making the Volta Region a leading tourism destination through cultural promotion, eco-tourism development, and private sector investment.

Speaking at President John Dramani Mahama's Citizens' Engagement in Ho on Friday, Madam Gomashie said the Volta Region was the first destination she visited after assuming office, highlighting the importance the government attached to the region's tourism potential.

She said she met with the Volta Regional Minister, Mr James Gunu, and subsequently engaged all Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the region to identify unique tourism attractions within their jurisdictions.

"The responsibility of the assemblies is to identify what is unique and marketable in their districts, while the Ministry provides the technical expertise to package and promote those attractions both locally and internationally," she said.

The Minister disclosed that, following a directive from President Mahama, she had met with the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, to discuss the rehabilitation of roads leading to major tourist attractions across the country.

She expressed optimism that the second phase of the government's "Big Push" infrastructure programme would improve accessibility to tourism sites in the Volta Region.

Madam Gomashie said the region possessed enormous eco-tourism potential, citing the Adaklu Mountain Range in the Volta Region and the Likpe-Todome area in the neighbouring Oti Region as locations suitable for adventure tourism activities such as paragliding.

She, however, stressed that tourism development was driven by the private sector and called on investors to partner with the government to develop the attractions into internationally competitive destinations.

"We provide policy direction, but tourism is driven by private investment. We are inviting investors to work with us to develop these sites and unlock their full economic potential," she said.

The Minister highlighted the success of the Vodza Easter Regatta, organised in partnership with the Vodza Eco-Tourism Initiative, describing it as an emerging tourism product that gained national attention following the participation of Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang during this year's Easter celebrations.

She said the government intended to transform the southern coastal belt of the Volta Region into a vibrant cultural and marine tourism destination through strategic public-private partnerships.

Madam Gomashie identified attractions, including the Wli and Agumatsa Waterfalls, Avu Lagoon, Hedzranawo Slave Market, Keta, Kedzi, Galosota, and other coastal communities, as key tourism assets capable of attracting domestic and international visitors.

She explained that although some attractions, particularly the Wli Waterfalls, were community-owned, the government sought stronger collaboration with traditional authorities and local communities to ensure that investments generated shared economic benefits.

The Minister announced that the Ghana Tourism Development Company had launched a digital tourism platform to showcase tourism businesses and attractions across the country.

She, however, expressed concern that many hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and other businesses had not registered on the platform, limiting the government's ability to market them internationally.

"If you own a hotel, restaurant or tourism facility and you are not on the platform, it becomes difficult for us to promote your business to the rest of the world," she said.

Madam Gomashie commended residents of Keta for maintaining clean beaches, saying environmental cleanliness remained essential if Ghana was to compete with renowned international beach destinations such as the Seychelles.

She urged Municipal and District Assemblies to support efforts to preserve the region's natural environment and tourism assets.

The Minister also revealed that the government was promoting investment in the Marine Drive Project and had engaged the Agbogbomefia of Asogli to support efforts to attract investors, particularly from China, to the tourism sector.

She disclosed that the Ministry had litigation-free land suitable for tourism investments and was ready to partner with private investors under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and other Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.

Madam Gomashie expressed appreciation to President Mahama for his continued support for the tourism sector, saying he had recently facilitated a meeting between her Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to secure additional resources for tourism development.

She expressed confidence that, from 2027, the Volta Region and Ghana as a whole would witness significant growth in tourism, culture, and the creative arts sector through increased investment and improved infrastructure.