Government is investing a total of GH¢350 million to modernise tourist attractions across the country, the Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture,Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal has announced.
The investment forms part of government‘s effort at boosting tourism and making the country the preferred destination in Africa by 2025.
“This is in line with government’s commitment to make tourism sector act as a veritable tool for economic transformation, thereby contributing to job creation and wealth for the people,” he emphasised.
Dr Awal who was taking his turn at the bi-weekly Minister’s Briefing organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra yesterday said the GH¢350 million was a World Bank funding and would help improve on attractions in the country.
He noted that some of the attractions which were receiving attention included; the Pikworo Heritage and Slave Camp project, Bonwire Kente Museum, Yaa Asantewaa Museum, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Shai Hill and Mole park.
In addition to that he said five multipurpose domes or amphitheater across the country.
Dr Awal said the country would leverage its current rating as the number one tourism destination in West Africa to boost its tourism drive.
“Currently, the World Economic Forum Report 2021 on Tourism and Travel Development Index has ranked Ghana as the number one Tourism Destination in West Africa from its previous number three position,” he said.
He said the country had a comparative advantage in tourism and hospitality in the sub-region as it passed about 65per cent of all edifices used during the slave trade.
“Ghana also host the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This will enable the country enhance its position as a venue for Meeting, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE).
Dr Awal said another advantage, the country had was that it was located in the centre of the world, was politically stable and seen as an attractive investment destination.
He said the government was therefore taking advantage of these to invest in the tourism sector to enable the sector be a catalyst for economic growth.
The Minister explained that strategies had been put in place to take advantage of these to invest in the tourism sector to enable the sector become a catalyst for economic growth.
He said the tourism sector employed about 650,000 people directly and would work to ensure that 150,000 more were employed annually.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
