Tour preceding World Tourism Day celebration begins

Accra, Sept. 23, GNA - A tour organized to precede this year's World Tourism Day celebrations would start on Friday to enable people to explore tourist sites.

The tour would take tourists to Tamale through the Mole Game Park to Daboya, Techiman and Kintampo.

The tour offers the opportunity for people to mobilize themselves to use the occasion to promote indigenous games to boost tourism attractions and the industry in general.

Ms Victoria Antwi-Sarpong, Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, told the Ghana News Agency that most indigenous games like oware, ampe and ludo were almost unknown to the youth while the older ones who played these games had nearly forgotten them.

"Ultimately people will have the chance to participate in the World Tourism Day Games at Yendi and Tamale on the 27th September 2004."

The day is universally celebrated on September 27 to draw attention to tourism and its role in the socio-economic development of nations. The theme for this year's celebration is: "Sports and Tourism: Two Driving Forces for Mutual Understanding and the Development of Societies."

The Ministries of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City and Education, Youth and Sports are to host celebrations with the objective of fostering unity, promoting understanding and engendering friendship and brotherliness among Ghanaians, especially in an election year.