The tourism minister (middle) when she visited Nana Nketsiah (right)
The Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, has charged the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Abelema Afeku to pursue domestic tourism through the development of new and existing tourism sites to enhance patronage.
He indicated that Ghana has numerous virgin tourism attractions that needed to be harnessed and developed to whip up interest in the local communities.
The paramount chief also stressed the need for the existing sites to be managed properly and resourced to generate income for the nation.
Nana Kobina Nketsiah stated this when the Tourism Minister paid a courtesy call on him at his palace at Essikado, near Sekondi yesterday.
The Tourism Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira in the Western Region, was in the area for a five day working visit during which she will visit some tourist sites and interact with the chiefs and people of the area.
Nana Kobina Nketsiah reiterated the need for Ghanaians to patronize made in Ghana meals and goods asserting that tourism had great potentials to become the leading foreign exchange earner for Ghana and a major source of employment.
“If you do a good job I will support and applaud you as a daughter of our region but if you go wrong I will correct you”, the chief told the minister.
The Tourism Minister thanked the Paramount chief for his warm reception and pledged to adhere to his advice.
From the chief’s palace, the Tourism Minister and her entourage held a meeting with members of the Hoteliers Association in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.
She expressed the need for the hospitality industry to improve on its infrastructure and services to attract tourists.
She bemoaned the poor customer service offered at most of the hotels.
“Why should a waiter or waitress move to a guest at a hotel’s restaurant and ask ‘what do you want”, she asked.
She encouraged the hospitality facilities that charge very high rates, to ensure that the services rendered correspond to the charges.
“If you don’t treat them well, the people will go and will never return “, she stressed.
She therefore urged the hoteliers and those in the industry to attend a pending training programme which would be initiated by the ministry aimed at sharpening the skills of hotel workers in the region.
She also promised those in the hospitality business of government’s offer of tax incentives as part of efforts to encourage the growth of the private sector.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi