Marine Drive project to generate 150,000 jobs — Afeku

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has stated that implementation of a Marine Drive investment project would generate over 150,000 jobs to the tourism and hospitality sectors.

In a speech read on behalf of the sector Minister, Madam Catherine Afeku, she stated that by the third quarter of 2018, the project would be in full force.

“The ministry has set a priority target to generate massive employment by 2018 by implementing the marine drive tourism investment project,” she stated.

The event which was held in Accra last Friday was on the theme, “Youth employment through the tourism and hospitality industry.”

Attention

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the President of the National Federation of tourism, Okatakyie Nana Anim I, stressed the need for more attention to be paid to the Tourism industry to prevent the country from losing out on the benefit tourism had to offer.

He stated that it was about time education and training was brought into the tourism sector to make the industry more attractive.

Education

Meanwhile, Nana Anim said the tourism ministry in collaboration with the World Tourism Organisation had selected 80 members in the industry to train them in the tourism and hospitality business.

He urged students to “avail and commit yourselves to whatever training that would be given to you, to help you bring about the desired change you wish to see in the industry.”

The president also encouraged the youth to develop the skill and knowhow on tourism and hospitality management.

Discipline

Madam Amita Siromoni Nair, one of the resource persons at the event, stressed the need for students to be disciplined when it came to the business of tourism and hospitality management.

She urged them to attach discipline to whatever they did by being mindful of their body language and their relationship with their prospective customers.

Advice

The President of the School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management, Mr Goyimiwole Enukomeko Kpodo, also called on individuals, churches, corporate and social organisations, the government and other stakeholders to join forces to market the country to the outside world.

Nathafest

Nathafest is a tourism and hospitality public educational programme that aims at bridging the gap between the training of young people with industry practitioners, to focus attention on the vast opportunities the sector offers to solve the unemployment situation in the country.