'Communities Must Demand Accountability'

John Adams, Senior Marketing Officer, Ghana Tourism Authority

A Senior Marketing Officer at the Ghana Tourism Authority, John Adams has stated that community members must be sensitized to demand accountability from their leaders who manage the various tourist sites in the Upper East region.

This is the only way the community members can ensure that a few people do not spend what is meant for the development of the entire community and improvement of businesses and livelihood, according to him.

Touching on the theme for this year's World Tourism Day, 'Tourism and Community Development,' Mr Adams told DAILY GUIDE that 'if any community has a tourist attraction, which generates revenue, the money should be used for the good of community members.

Unfortunately, we don't see this in these communities with tourist

attractions and the Assemblies also do not show interest in promoting these sites. I am sure it's because the revenue does not come to them.'

DAILY GUIDE gathered that District Assemblies and the Ghana Tourism Authority in the region do not have control over the tourist sites.

Tourist attractions are managed by a few people in communities who do not account to the larger community and fail to use the funds to develop and promote the tourist sites.

According to Mr. Adams, community members can derive a lot from the tourism sites if they show interest in the maintenance and creation of businesses in the vicinity of the sites.

He hinted that hundreds of local and foreign tourists visit the

various tourist attractions in the Upper East region on monthly basis and pay fees.

The tourist sites also do not have structures to adequately brief visitors.

This year's World Tourism Day was marked in the Upper East region with a trip to some tourist sites in the Kassena-Nankana West

District.
School children, who embarked on the trip, were also counseled on how to pursue their careers and the need to remain patriotic.

From: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Paga