PPP needed to develop tourism sites

District Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region have been advised to enter into Public Private Partnership s (PPP) to develop tourism sites in their areas to attract tourists.

Mrs Gifty Kwansa, Greater Accra Regional Director of Tourism, who gave the advice, said tourism was a source of revenue, therefore the need to develop such sites must be taken seriously by the various Assemblies.

Mrs Kwansa reminded the Assemblies that tourists are attracted to sites due to its peculiar attractiveness and development.

She gave the advice when she led a delegation to visit tourists’ sites in the Shai-Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region.

Some of the sites visited were the Dodowa forest, Chenku waterfalls, Shai hills games reserve park, Agomeda beads manufacturing centre, the Dipo grounds and the ancestral home of the Shai people among others.

The visit was in commemoration of the World Tourism Day, which is observed annually on September 27 to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

Mrs Kwansa, said the theme for the celebration; "Tourism and community development", was to focus attention on how to positively transform communities using their tourism potentials.

She added that Shai-Osudoku District has many tourism sites which must be developed to attract both internal and external tourists to the area.

Nene Okrukrubou Teye Agyeman V, Numersi Mantse, briefed the tourism team on the historical significance of the sites visited.

Nene Agyeman explained that the Dodowa forest was very significant in the history of the Ga-Adagmes due to its use as the camping and training grounds for warriors during the Katamanso war some centuries ago.