Jake promoted tourism - Chief Director

Accra, Sept. 16, GNA - Mrs Bridget Katsriku, Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations on Friday, expressed mixed feelings about the resignation of Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the Former sector Minister and noted that he brought dramatic changes to the tourism sector.

She noted that at the time Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey took over the Ministry in 2003, the sector was young and vulnerable among the growth related Ministries to the extent that tourism was conspicuously missing from the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy.

"Our annual budget was miserably low; awareness about the tourism sector, especially among decision makers and those who allocate resources was nothing to write home about".

"The cordiality between the public sector officials and the private sector practitioner was at best sporadic," The Chief Director stated at a farewell dinner organized by the Ministry for the Former Minister, Mr Joe Baidoo-Ansah, Minister for Trade, Industry, PSI and PSD who was a Deputy Minister at the Ministry and other staff who had either been transferred or going on retirement.

Mrs Katsriku said, "Jake quickly realised the huge potential of the tourism sector and in a short time he made known his vision, which was later translated into a four year strategic action plan with the ambitious target of bringing one million tourists to Ghana by the end of year 2007".

Mentioning some of his achievements at the Ministry, the Chief Director said the former Minister placed the tourism sector on the development agenda of Ghana.

The creation of a tourism press corps, building of receptive facilities, initiating highway rest-stops, the hang and paragliding festival, the national chocolate day and the Joseph project were some of the things Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey brought to the tourism sector. Mrs Katsriku also commended Mr Baidoo Ansah for the support he gave the Ministry during the one year he worked with the Ministry..

Mr Edwin Owusu-Mensah, Acting Deputy Manager in charge of Operations at the Ghana Tourists Board, said the Board would forever be grateful to the former Minister for the new head office project. "After so many years of moving from place to place we have finally got a permanent place we can call our own through the instrumentality of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey,"

He noted that the Joseph project had increased the number of tourist to Ghana and said that last year there were, 73,244 visitors from the United States compared to 69,789 from the United Kingdom and said that until last year the UK was the biggest market in terms of Ghana's tourism.

Mrs Stella Appenteng, President of the Ghana Tourism Federation, expressed the appreciation of the private sector practitioners to the former Minister.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said he was "lost for words for the honour" done him and urged the staff of the Ministry and the private sector practitioners to support Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the new Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations to continue the good work he started.