GTA supports private sector to develop tourism products

The Ghana Tourism Authority has held what is described as Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism Conference to help regulate tourism business and generate significant revenue for the local economy.

The conference, which was held yesterday, was also aimed at providing incentives for the private sector to develop MICE tourism products and services. MICE tourism involves hosting international conferences, meetings, and exhibitions, which attract high-spending tourists and generate significant revenue for the local economy. 

Infinite product

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Kwadwo Odame Antwi said tourism was an infinite product. "People are travelling across the continents of the world for different reasons.

Now, while we are looking at getting people to Ghana for purposes of entertainment and we have done quite a bit there,  the government's flagship project that we introduced, the Year of Return, is a testament to what can happen once the government decides to be in the forefront of marketing the country. So we are getting good numbers," he said.

He continued," We have attracted good mega-concerts such as the Global Citizens Concert and we have hosted AfroNation, AfroFuture and December in GH, which has given us good numbers as well."

Business

However, Mr Antwi stated that his outfit had realised that most visitors also come year-round for purposes of business. "Now, how do we maintain these business numbers? What do they need to be able to come or grow the numbers for purposes of business tourism? We have thought about this and realised that there's a certain gap when it comes to infrastructure-related services.

"So we have conference facilities that can seat 1,000 people, but if we get conference facilities that can seat upwards to 5,000, it will help," he said.

Partnership

Subsequently, Mr Antwi said the government had partnered some private sector institutions to lead this effort. "Recently, if you go to a place such as the La Palm Royale Beach which belongs to the government, part of the space has been leased to provide that kind of facility, but more is needed," Mr Antwi noted.

Even though his outfit has chalked up some successes in that regard, Mr Antwi noted that the challenge of visa acquisition had been prevalent. "In addition to that, when it comes to country movement, inbound traffic, we are also looking at what next we can do to attract people, he said. 

Culture

He also touched on the role of culture. "It has become obvious to everybody that one of the biggest things we can sell as a country, beyond our culture, beyond our peace, beyond our safety, beyond the food, beyond our beautiful kente, beyond the proverbial hospitality that we have is the positioning of Ghana scientifically as the centre of the world.

"I think it is known to many if you talk to those in the marine industry, that Ghana's longitude zero degrees runs through the country from the north to the south. The equator, which is latitude zero degrees, is in the sea, about 500 kilometres from the port of Tema," Mr Antwi said.

Purpose

Consequently, he said once that was pushed aggressively, people who were moving for purposes of tourism would have another reason to come to Ghana.

"There's some truth in that, but in the last six years, we have seen tremendous shifts. There used to be a lot of inbound traffic internationally, foreign visitors to Ghana, but domestic tourism has picked up. We launched a project called See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana and that has helped.

"So now the percentage of people in Ghana moving or travelling for purposes of tourism has grown and there's room. We are doing an upward of about 1.2 million of such visitors to our tourist sites. We believe there's room and we'll push that," he stated.

Investment

Additionally, he also encouraged private sector investors, those who had deep pockets to come and partner the government to invest in tourism.

" As you see, tourism is the new gold, the oil we're drilling may have a lifespan, the gold, but tourism doesn't. And so for those who have money, once they get talking to us, we'll show them where to invest and then we can assure them that they will receive their returns on investment," Mr Antwi said.