Stop paying lip service to tourism

Colonial relics such as castles and forts stretch along the coast of Ghana.

National parks such as Kakum in the Central Region and Mole in the Northern Region, and the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, the Big Tree at Akim Oda, the Crocodile Pond in Paga and the Larabanga Mosque near Damongo in the Northern Region are all tourist attractions the country could gain a lot from.

Apart from these physical attractions, the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality and the country's diverse but very rich culture and festivals, which are evident in all the 10 regions, are avenues through which Ghana could be globally marketed and tourists attracted into the country in droves.

Authentic Ghanaian fabrics such as the Kente, Batakari and wax prints are also a must-have for many foreigners who visit the country; not to talk about the special beads made by the Krobos and special wood carvings mostly sold in arts and crafts shops.    

These present the country with immense opportunities to rake in the much needed revenue to help in its development efforts.  

The Ministry of Tourism has indicated that the annual paragliding festival on the Kwahu Scarp is going to be a bi-annual affair in view of the successes it has chalked up and the popularity it has gained among both Ghanaians and foreigners since its introduction few years ago.

This goes to buttress our belief that tourism, which was once the third highest foreign exchange earner for the country, still has a lot to offer the country.

The Daily Graphic is, however, chagrined that in spite of the potential Ghana has as a major tourism destination, we only seem to be paying lip service to the sector, thereby allowing other countries with not even half as much potential to drive the annual tourist traffic in their favour.

Our very fine sprawling beaches are constantly under stress from refuse, open defaecation and waste materials and there are no proper road networks to all our awe-inspiring tourist sites such as the falls and national parks.

Also, there are no proper hospitality facilities at Atibie, where the paragliding festival takes place, as is the case at the other tourist sites.

The Daily Graphic believes that in spite of the fact that Ghana has become an oil-producing country, tourism still remains an area from which we could rake in more revenue each year.

We are of the view that our tourism potential has not yet been fully harnessed and the earlier we, as a country, did that the more we would enjoy its benefits, as is the case in some African countries.

We urge the Ministry of Tourism, the Ghana Tourist Authority and all other stakeholders to streamline activities in the hospitality industry by bringing our tourist sites at par with what pertains in other countries in terms of the quality of service and rates.            

While we believe that every government has shown some commitment towards the development of our tourism sector, a deliberate national policy that will be embraced by all governments is what is needed to drive tourism in the country.