Emmanuel Frimpong
THE GHANA Tourism Federation (GHATOF) has called on government to consider upgrading Ghana’s tourism infrastructures to attract more international and local visitors.
According to GHATOF, over the years Ghana’s tourism infrastructures have not seen significant facelift, which to a large extent has weakened attempts made at attracting visitors to tourism sites across the country.
Emmanuel Frimpong, Executive Secretary of GHATOF, who made this known, highlighted, “Due to our lack of maintenance culture, most of these infrastructures are in deplorable states. Many interesting tourism and attraction sites are equally in appalling condition, making them lose their values of attraction.
“We believe this will help to attract more tourists to patronize our attraction sites and also empower the private sector to champion certain aspects of tourism development. We are still dependent on the government to play its role.”
Mr Frimpong continued that most of the roads leading to the various tourist destinations were in horrible states, which had made internal travels very difficult, unattractive and caused revenue loss to the sector.
He, meanwhile, commended the BUSAC Fund and its development partners, DANIDA and USAID, for sponsoring GHATOF’s research and advocacy drive.
“It is the hope of GHATOF and its sponsors, BUSAC Fund and its development partners, DANIDA and USAID, that the attention of the government would be drawn to this all important sector, create more jobs and reduce poverty,” he said.
GHATOF, over the last few months, has embarked on an extensive advocacy programme on several media platforms to discuss the state of tourism infrastructure in the country.
Such advocacy has been made possible with the support from BUSAC Fund and DANIDA and USAID.
GHATOF is the umbrella body of the various private trade associations such as the Ghana Hotels Association, Tour Operators Union Association, Ghana Chefs Association, Tourism Society of Ghana, Tour Guides Association of Ghana and many others, who are mandated to advocate the development and the growth of the industry as well as identifying various opportunities and challenges that hinder the development of the industry.
In order to address issues confronting the tourism sector, GHATOF has been organizing stakeholder engagements to come out with various findings impeding tourism development in Ghana.
GHATOF is passionate about these things because the hospitality and tourism industry remains a major contributor to Ghana’s GDP.