Tourism is a broad socio-economic industry funded on a society’s natural, man-made heritage and cultural resources.
It has become the largest and fastest-growing industry around the world, comprising all activities, attractions, facilities and services and infrastructure related to people travel away from their homes on long day trips for overnight stays for recreational activities and others.
Travel may be for holiday and recreation, business, meetings, conferences, official missions, among other purposes.
The sector currently ranked as the fourth largest revenue earner for Ghana’s economy behind cocoa, gold and foreign remittances.
It has emerged as a very strong, sustainable and a reliable broad multi-million socio-economic industry that has become an integral and key facilitator of inclusive socio-economic transformation and development globally, especially between the urban-rural, poor-wealthy, developed-undeveloped, skilled-unskilled among other broad classifications and segmentations.
Many researches, studies and experts conclude strongly that Ghana’s current tourism growth and performance is only a minor fraction of her real potential. They concluded that the country has a great tourism potential if prioritized and harnessed with the commensurate funding is capable of elevating the country into an iconic international model tourism destination hub.
International confidence
The industry, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), World Trade Organisation,(WTO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other global expertise institutional researches and analysis, the sector is currently the biggest, fastest and largest growing industry in the world.
It has evolved and continues to evolve as a global phenomenon that has promoted and influenced the turnaround and the fortunes of many challenged and or emerging economies.
It has become indispensable and an integral pillar of many modern, robust and vibrant economies.
Neglected
In spite of the above stellar attributes and characteristics such as poverty alleviation, gender and women empowerment, pro-poor, environmental conservation, international peace and security, pro-infrastructure among other positive attributes as an indispensable international socio-economic game changer and a multi-million dollar industry, the sector remains underrated, neglected , relegated and unsung global blue gold.
Huge and high socio-economic disparities, poverty and bursting youth unemployment, strange and devastating pandemic are challenges that stare the international community unabated.
Way forward
The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic scare restated the urgent and pressing need for sustained and conscious global efforts to breach and drastically reduce the poverty and inequality gap among the developed-undeveloped, poor-wealthy and rural-urban broad segmentations as well as accelerate United Nations (UN), international policies that seek to promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Recovery blueprint
Small and medium-sized enterprises (which make up around 80% of the tourism sector) are expected to be particularly impacted. This might affect millions of livelihoods across the world, including vulnerable communities who rely on tourism as a vehicle to spur their development and economic inclusion.
Due to its cross-cutting economic nature and deep social footprint, tourism is uniquely positioned to help societies and communities affected return to growth and stability. Over the years, the sector has consistently proven its resilience and its ability not only to bounce back as a sector but to lead the wider economic and social recovery. This depends on adequate political support and recognition.
UNWTO
Against this backdrop, UNWTO calls for financial and political support for recovery measures targeting the tourism sector in the most affected countries.
The UNWTO also advises countries and destinations to include in their post-pandemic socio-economic recovery plans measures and incentives to be planned and implemented in coordination with international development and donor organizations, tourism support to be included in the wider recovery plans and actions of affected economies.
As in the past, UNWTO has offered an assurance to provide guidance and support for recovery measures of its members, the private and public tourism sector, including organizers of tourism events and fairs.
Ghana’s Outlook
Ghana is well endowed in all the four main broad divisions of the tourism mix.
However, there is no compressive, well-defined nation policy strategy to harness our unique national tourism potential for its socio-economic benefits in job opportunities, revenue, infrastructure, poverty alleviation, national cohesion, among others.
National attempts such as the 1996-2010 first 15-year long-term National Tourism Development Policy, 2003-2007 four-year medium policy, the current 2013-2027 second long-term National Tourism Development Policy Document, the Tourism, Tourism Development and the Ghana Tourism Authority Act 2011, Act 817 are not comprehensive and cannot help in attaining any meaning and appreciable tourism development aspirations.
Tourism Development Levy/Fund
The law created the novelty fund as a dedicated statutory revenue pool and fund and funding channel to support and promote rapid and accelerated development of the overall national tourism potential.
Background
Section 21 of the Tourism Act 2011, (Act 817) and Legislative Instrument (LI) 2135, 2012 created the Tourism Development Fund (TDF).
Object of the fund
The object of the fund is to provide funding for tourism and tourism-related projects and programmes to achieve the objective of the fund. Moneys from the fund shall be applied for relevant tourism activities as the board may determine, including in particular marketing and promotion of tourism; capacity building, market research and development of tourism infrastructure and development and promotion of other entrepreneurial activities.
Other objectives of the fund include tourism export trade-oriented activities of institutions and tourism education and training.
Sources of the Fund
The sources of the fund include seed capital from the government, one per cent levy payable by a patron of a tourism enterprise specified in the schedule, donations and grants.
The rest sources of revenue into the Tourism Development Fund moneys earned by the operation of any project, enterprise financed from the fund or investments, and other moneys that the Minister for Finance in consultation with the minister may determine with the approval of Parliament.
Management of the fund
The fund shall be administered by the board and a representative of the Controller and Accountant-General. The moneys for the fund shall be paid into a bank account opened by the board with the approval of the Controller and Accountant-General.
In furtherance of Subsection (1), the board shall arrange for the effective and efficient collection of moneys assigned to the fund; identify other sources of funding; co-ordinate and ensure total and timely accountability of the fund; prepare and publish procedures for disbursement of the fund; formulate general financial strategies and policies for the growth of the fund; evaluate and approve projects in need of funding; determine the certification necessary to ensure that work is completed according to specification; review the annual programmes and projects submitted by the public and private sector agencies for funding; and perform other functions that may be incidental to its functions.
The writer is an ex-District Chief Executive, Kwahu South District Assembly, Mpraeso. He is also a senior partner at Tropical Architects & Planners, 26/2 Momotse Street, Adabraka, Accra.
By Nana Kofi Onwona-Asante