Akwasi Agyemang, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority
Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage, has called on stakeholders in the tourism industry in the country to invest in domestic tourism to encourage and boost patronage at the various tourism sites.
“Service excellence and the affordability of travel and accommodation packages will go a long way to encourage Ghanaians to travel and explore the country whilst fostering culture of travel,” she said.
Madam Abayage, however, encouraged business owners and all stakeholders in the tourism sector to partner with communities to drive domestic tourism.
The minister said these in a speech read for her at the Upper East Regional Tourism Awards, which was organised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) at Zuarungu, the capital of the Bolgatanga East District.
The 14th edition of the annual event was on the theme: ‘Celebrating Our Heritage’.
She underscored the significant contributions of the tourism industry to the socio-economic growth and development of the country through the preservation of cultural heritage, creation of employment and generation of foreign exchange to increase government’s revenue mobilisation drive.
The minister disclosed that the region is endowed with lot of tourist sites such as the Paga Crocodile Pond, the Pikworo Slave Camp, the Tongo Hills and Tengzu Shrine, the Sirigu Women Organisation in Pottery & Art (SWOPA), the Bolgatanga Craft Village, among other hospitality facilities.
These attractions, she said, are faced with infrastructural and logistical challenges and indicated that it was imperative to encourage more entrepreneurs to invest in the sector to improve on service delivery.
“The government will continue to play its part in promoting tourism. It is working closely with the Ghana Tourism Authority, the business community and stakeholders to support the initiatives put in place to promote tourism and address the hindrances to tourism growth,” she added.
Mr. Kwesi Anim-Larbi, head of human resource at the head office of the GTA, explained that this year has been declared a ‘Year of Return’, which marks the 400th year since the first slave from West Africa entered Europe.
He added that the country is expecting about 500,000 visitors this year and called on hospitality owners to develop their facilities to attract these visitors.