Tourism drive must succeed

Tourism has contributed immensely to the economy of Ghana. It has, over the years, remained the fourth highest foreign exchange earner for the country after gold, cocoa and oil.

The realisation of the huge potential of the sector has led to the government putting in all the efforts necessary to ensure that Ghana derives the optimum from the sector.

By all standards, Ghana has what it takes to become a major tourism destination. Tourists look out for culture that is authentic and original and has authority. They also look out for people who are pleasant and hospitable, and these are areas where the country is well endowed.

Although the sector has brought in foreign exchange, we as a people can do more to reap more benefits as other countries are doing.

That is why we at the Daily Graphic are glad that innovative and new approaches are being adopted to ensure that we grow the earnings that accrue to the country from the sector.

At the maiden Ghana tourism investment forum in Accra yesterday, speakers called for a deliberate policy direction and strategic investment to harness the untapped potential of the country’s tourism sector.

We applaud the organisers for this move, as the sector is critical to the job creation agenda of the government and the initiative to move the country beyond aid.

In some countries, the tourism sector alone employs a chunk of the population and we believe that when the right things are done, the scary unemployment situation will be addressed to a large extent.

Ghana is endowed with impressive scenery, such as beautiful beaches, wildlife, waterfalls, diverse vegetation as one traverses the country, beautiful rivers and lakes that can offer water sports, mountains that can provide diverse activities that will certainly attract tourists.

We also have a thriving democracy which, to a large extent, guarantees safety and security.

But we would like to remind the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and other stakeholders that tourism is now driven by science, technology, information and innovation. Therefore, the success of tourism and its ability to rake in the billions is not just the natural scenery and settings but how these natural resources can be complemented with innovation.

In this vein, we are particularly elated that the GIPC is fully involved in this drive to place tourism at the highest level of priority. We urge the private sector to take advantage of the government’s policies on tourism to develop the sector.

Though there are several institutions that run courses in tourism, we should make a conscious effort to give training and knowledge about tourism to the local people who are the direct contacts with tourists, since the impression tourists get will be communicated to the outside world and that will determine how many more tourists will be willing to visit.

If a visitor is harassed on the road, overcharged by a taxi driver or the environment is destroyed by insensitive development, it can affect the impression a tourist has of a country. Our tourism authorities should pay attention to these.

We should also make a conscious effort to provide infrastructure and accessibility to tourist sites to entice tourists to visit.

If we can do some of these as a country, we will be on the path of making tourism a major revenue earner of the country.