Ministry to set up tourism development fund

Cape Coast (Central Region) 17 May ?99

The Ministry of Tourism is to set up a tourism development fund to market and promote tourist facilities and events in the country.

This is to ensure the sustainable development of the industry to help achieve the projection of an estimated earning of more than one billion dollars within the next ten years.

The Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mrs. Doreen Owusu-Fianko, announced this at the third Central Region Tourism Awards Night held at Cape Coast on Saturday.

She said the modalities for the setting up of the fund were being worked out and that, at the opportune time, views would be solicited to ensure a comprehensive strategy.

In all, eleven individuals and businesses engaged in the industry in the region won competitive awards, with the "Coconut Grove Beach Resort" at Elmina, emerging as the "Hotel of the year" for the third time running.

Nana Kwame Nkyi the XII, Omanhene of Assin Apimanim Traditional Area, was adjudged the "Tourism Personality of the year" as part of honorary awards to seven organisations and individuals for their contribution to tourism development in the region.

Mrs. Owusu-Fianko said there are also plans by the GTB to set up a business development unit to guide and help fund the appropriate development in accommodation and other indigenous enterprises related to the hospitality industry.

This had become necessary because the recently held World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and Africa Travel Association (ATA) congress saw Africa, including Ghana, as the tourism destination for the next millennium, she said.

The cultural, historical and ecological heritage, she said, are Africa's strength that would enable it to have a fair share of the ever-increasing global travel and tourism business.

Mrs. Owusu-Fianko also said emphasis should be placed on the development of communities within which tourist attractions are located to ensure sustainable tourism development that harmonises economic benefits for the people.

She, therefore, called on individuals and tourism development-oriented organisations in the region to develop and integrate tourism activities in such communities.

Mrs. Owusu-Fianko further called for an effective environmental sanitation management system within Cape Coast and Elmina.

She commended the award winners and said such occasions should be used to review individual and collective strategies to improve upon businesses in the industry.

The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr H.Q. Jehu-Appiah, however, expressed concern about the lack of qualified tour guides in the region to interpret the historical and cultural significance of festivals accurately to tourists.

He, therefore, stressed the need to train and acquire well-informed guides locally to sustain tourist interest in the region.

Welcoming the guests, Mr Sampson Donkor, the regional manager of the GTB, announced that more community-based tourism activities were being introduced to help achieve the region's vision to lead the country's tourism industry into the next millennium.

These include the enhancement of the Assin Manso Slave route project and the identification of one major attraction for development in selected districts to serve as a developing point for other attractions.

He also announced plans to provide additional accommodation facilities and said more than 350 international star-rated rooms would be added to existing ones by the year 2001.