Akwasi Agyemang – CEO Ghana Tourism Authority
The Ghana Tourism Authority has recorded a 20 percent growth since the launch of the “See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana and Feel Ghana” campaign, which has seen over 600,000 visitations to various tourist sites.
President Akufo Addo, who stated this in Parliament Thursday, said the World Bank had approved a $40 million grant to support the Tourism Ministry and its agencies to help upgrade tourist facilities.
He stated that the year-long campaign which is being coordinated by the Ghana Tourism Authority is expected to increase arrivals considerably.
Capacity building
He said the Hospitality Training Institute has been renovated and re-opened in July 2018 to provide the needed training in the hospitality and tourism sector.
“Under a Tourism Attractions Upgrade Project, several tourist sites, including Elmina Heritage Bay, Axim Fort St. Antonio, Assin Manso Slave River, Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm, Bunso Arboretum, Kintampo Water Falls, are undergoing upgrades.”
“A draft Legislative Instrument (LI) on Sites and Attractions is currently undergoing final stakeholder consultations. This will ensure world-class standards are set and maintained at all our tourism sites and attractions.”
Keeping Accra clean
In order to attract more tourists, he said Ghana has witnessed an increase in the coverage of solid waste management from 16.6% to 53%, adding that over the course of last year, 35,862 household toilets were built as compared to 1,698 in 2016.
“We will intensify efforts at making Accra a clean city.”
Recycling
Commenting on his administration’s efforts at reducing the plastic menace, he said a vibrant recycling industry in Ghana could recover nearly one million tonnes of waste plastics from the environment and landfills annually to be recycled into basic-need products valued at GH¢2 billion per year to create many jobs across the economy.
“Currently, extensive discussions are being held with investors on the most sustainable options available to rid Ghana of this plastic menace.”
By Samuel Boadi