High Performance From Tourism Sector

Accra, March 9, GNA - The performance of the Tourism Sector between 2000 and 2003 has revealed that employment in the Sector increased to 127,645 in 2003 from 90,000 in 2000.

Revenue from hotels and restaurants costumers' tax also increased by 173 per cent from 24 billion cedis in 2000 to 65.3 billion cedis in 2003.

The fourth Edition of the "Tourism Data Series" copied to the Ghana News Agency indicates that the registration and licence fees charged by the Ghana Tourist Board increased by 80 per cent to 840.419 million cedis from to 467.031 million cedis.

Mr Owusu Amoakohene, Research Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, told the GNA on Wednesday that if tourism could generate 300,000 jobs in 2007 as outlined in the Tourism Strategy Document the level of employment should increase by 135 per cent from the 2003 figures.

"It has been quite difficult to isolate the total contribution of tourism to government tax revenue because of the structural breakdown of the economic sectors used by the Internal Revenue Service," he said. The employment opportunities were more favourable to males (56 per cent) as compared to females (44 per cent) during the period.

Mr Amoakohene said more females should be encouraged to participate in sectors such as car rentals, travel and tours and hotels. "Ghana is primed to generate the right personnel with the requisite skills, essential for developing a viable tourism industry," he said.