Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal
Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has announced that they are taking this year’s celebration of World Tourism Day to the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region on September 27, 2021.
This year’s event is under the theme “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”
Ghana raked in $3.3 billion with a total of 1.3 million tourist’s arrivals in 2019.
However, COVID 19 pandemic hit the sector and reduced the gains made by two/thirds in 2020 and depressed the tourism value chain indicators.
A press release issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on Monday September 20, 2021 stated that the Ministry has initiated some interventions such as launching of the Domestic Tourism Campaign dubbed “Experience Ghana- share Ghana” including grants for tourism SMEs and site upgrades in order for the country’s tourism sector to recover from the COVID 19 pandemic shocks.
According to the ministry, it is determined to showcase the many social and economic benefits of tourism to everybody in terms of wealth creation and poverty reduction.
“The celebration of this day will reaffirm the sector’s commitment to building a more prosperous and peaceful world through tourism with everyone onboard. It is both timely and necessary. The restriction on international travel compounded by hotel quarantine for all arrivals and the extended and unintended effect has made clear the relevance of tourism to our societies.
“The economic and social impact has been felt far beyond the sector itself. And in many places, the most vulnerable members of society have been hit hardest of all. Therefore, unlocking the potential of tourism, its extensive value chain and investments facilitation and opportunities can deliver more inclusive and sustainable growth in traditionally marginalized communities with huge tourism and other resources. By expanding access to tourism education and delivering sector-specific training will give everybody the chance to benefit from tourism’s future growth,” the statement said.
In order to achieve this, the ministry is calling for all hands on deck for a better tourism, saying that “Working for inclusive growth means getting everybody behind a better vision for tourism through which inclusive growth, global poverty and inequality levels between countries will improve and thereby incentivizing a unique occasion to amplify the conversation about the sector’s role for the revitalization of the sector following the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.”
The commemoration of World Tourism Day is held on the September 27 each year to showcase the tourism sector’s unique ability to drive economic development, preserve and promote culture and heritage as well as to provide opportunities for all.
By Vincent Kubi