Akwasi Agyemang
Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has held a stakeholders’ consultative engagement to sensitise tourism site operators on the Draft Legislative Instrument (L.I) on Tourism (Tourism Sites) Regulations, 2019 meant to streamline the operations of the sector.
Tourism site operators in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions attended the meeting which was held in Tamale.
Akwasi Agyemang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTA, said many of the tourism sites and attractions in the country are not licensed, a situation which affects the regulation of the sector, hence the L.I to operationalise the Tourism Act of 2011 to streamline their operations.
The Draft L.I, amongst others, seeks to ensure that best practices are brought to bear on the management, ownership and coordination of tourism sites in the country.
It also requires that emergency service vehicles be available at tourism sites to take care of any eventualities.
Mr. Agyemang urged tourism site operators to take advantage of social and digital media to market their sites to attract more visitors for increased revenue.
Many of the participants who came from tourism sites, located at Wechiau, Paga, Gwollu, Mongnori, amongst others, appealed to the GTA to support them with funds to develop their sites to meet the standards required under the Draft L.I.
Others urged GTA to decentralise to districts to enable it to regulate tourism sites and facility operators.
Kuoro Bukutie Liman IV, paramount chief of Gwollu Traditional Area, who spoke on behalf of Gwollu Slave Defence Wall, said there is the need to attend to the needs of the tourism sector to ensure it increases revenues.