The Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) has opened nominations for the ‘Ghana Tourism Hall of Fame’ which was launched in Accra on Thursday.
Meant to be organised every two years, the award is to encourage innovativeness, professionalism and high standards among practitioners in the tourism sector. It is the first of its kind to be initiated by GHATOF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts.
David Nana Anim, the President of GHATOF, in an address mentioned that the nominations will be closed on August 2, and the proposed date for the award ceremony is on October 14 at the Banquet Hall of the State House.
He explained that a five-member panel of judges will be constituted to vet the nominations, after which an additional two-member judge will be appointed to validate the vetted nominations.
Mr Anim said a national planning committee made up of representatives of the key stakeholders in the key tourism sector has also been constituted to see to the effective planning of the programme.
The awards, he said, will comprise of gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as statuettes, including the bust and full statutes of winners to be exhibited at the National Museum by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
Nana Bright Oduro Kwateng, Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, who inaugurated a seven-member organising committee for the awards, to be chaired by Mr Jonny Morreas, a tourism practitioner, commended GHATOF for the initiative.
He urged the committee to work hard to ensure the success of the event, and also called for massive sponsorship for the programme.
Nana Oduro Kwateng said boosting tourism requires massive private sector leadership and investment, as well as effective partnership with state institutions in order to create the needed policy environment for employment, enhance revenue and the development of the country’s numerous tourist attraction sites, among other things.