"Let's make tourism a need not a want"- Jake

Accra, Aug. 21, GNA- Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, on Thursday said the only way Ghana could tap the enormous proven potentials of its tourism industry, was to place it among the priority needs in the national budgetary planning.

"In spite of the fact that tourism is the fastest growing sector in the country today, we still place and see it as a want instead of a need on our national budgetary planning," he said

The Minister was speaking at the inauguration of a press corps, who will use their skills in journalistic profession to project and promote tourism in the country.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said the role of the media in the growth of any industry could not be over-emphasized, saying there was the need to have a specialized group of journalists to educate the public with factual information about the industry.

He stressed the need to promote domestic tourism and said, "If we can woo our own people to share their cultural values, we will be united with a common feeling of nationalism in our quest for good governance".

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey expressed the hope that government will earn 1.5 billion dollars from an estimated figure of one million visitors expected into the country in the next four years.

Ghana being a high cost destination, low awareness of tourism potentials, weak human resource base, inadequate funding and poor infrastructures, were some of the challenges facing the industry in Ghana, he said.

The Minister announced that a strategic implementation plan has been developed which would be launched next month together with a developed website and marketing tools.

He said plans were underway to maximize donor support available to the sector and build private and public sector partnership for the growth of the industry.

Mr. Ben Arthur, Dean of the Press Corps pledged on behalf of his colleagues to devote themselves and work hard to bring to fruition objectives of the corps.

He asked for the ministry's support by readily making available factual information about the industry and said they would always write and report what is factual and objective.