Assemblies Urged to Encourage Private Investment in Tourism Development

Assemblies Urged to Encourage Private Investment in Tourism Development The Minister for Tourism, Hon. Akua Sena Dansua has called on Municipal and District Assemblies to encourage private investment in the development of tourism in Ghana.

According to the Minister, tourism is a private sector driven area with good returns for the investor, adding that, when this is encouraged, jobs and other opportunities would be created, hence, national development.

Ms Dansua made this call during the Ambassadorial tour of tourist attraction sites within the Kpando and Hohoe circuits. The tour which is part of the United Nations World Tourism Day celebration was to afford the team the opportunity to appreciate some of these attractions so as to find ways of helping in its improvement.

The Minister and her entourage were welcomed on arrival by the District Chief Executive of Kpando, Hon. Francis Komla Ganyaglo who accompanied the Minister and her team to some part of the Volta Region.

The team later paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Kpando, Togbui Dagadu VIII.

In his welcome address, Togbui Dagadu emphasized that Kpando is the hub of tourism in Ghana and needs a lot of support. He was hopeful that with the visit of the team, a lot of support would be extended to the district. The team later assembled at the Wli fall area and Hohoe with the Chiefs and the People in the area.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Hohoe, Hon. Dr Mrs Margaret Kweku pledged the support of the Assembly in improving the tourism potentials of the municipality. She admitted that much has not been done in that respect, and assured them that plans are afoot to develop the sector.

Some of places the team visited included the following, Wli Agumatsa, Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at Agbenoxoe - Kpando which serves as Tourist Center and Sacred Place for Prayers, the inland port at Kpando Torkor,

The team included Ambassadors from, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Benin, Trinidad and Tobago, Portugal, South Africa and the Parliamentary select Committee on Trade and Tourism.

Other representatives are the Ministry of Tourism, Ghana Tourist Authority, Miss Tourism Ghana 2011, Ms. Priscilla Asare and her Princesses, and other stakeholders in the industry. Support was also provided by the Ghana Police and National Security.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has set aside 27th of September each year to commemorate World Tourism Day throughout the world. This year’s event is under the theme “Tourism: Linking Cultures”, an indication of the symbiotic relationship between tourism and culture, and how tourism could be used as a vehicle to promote peaceful co-existence and mutual trust among people with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and orientations.

In Ghana, Regional Celebrations will be held nationwide, with the National event taking place at the Tafi-Atome Monkey Sanctuary in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region.

The celebration will be climaxed with a Grand Durbar on the 27th September at Tafi-Atome. Side attractions include a Traditional Gastronomy (food fair), Arts and Crafts Exhibition, and Cultural Performances to showcase the unique cultural heritage of Ghana.

The Minister used the opportunity to invite Ghanaians, especially policy makers, stakeholders in the industry and potential investors to take time off their work schedules to take part in the celebrations so as to appreciate the potential benefits of the sector.

The national economy appeals to Corporate Ghana and individuals to support the event and acknowledged RLG Communications, Kasapreko Company Ltd, Golden Tulip, Valley Pallacio (Peki), and Grand View Hotels, the Hohoe Municipal Assembly, and the Kpando District Assembly for their sponsorship towards this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations.