Egyptian experts to help Ghana's tourism industry

Accra, Feb 02, GNA - Egyptian experts are to hold series of training programmes for people in the Ghanaian tourism industry to enable Ghana to market its tourism products effectively.

Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the Minister of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, told journalists after Mr Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, had paid a courtesy call on him on Wednesday that the programmes, scheduled to end in July, include the training of hotel staff and tour guiding.

The Minister said there would also be a training programme for investors since the country had a lot of tourism potentials that needed to be tapped.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said Egypt now attracted about eight million tourists a year and Ghana, as a potential tourism destination in Africa, could learn from them.

He said Mr Gheit also expressed interest in the Joseph Project of the Ministry, which is aimed at attracting Africans in the Diaspora to invest in Ghana's tourism, especially development of slave sites and projects that could promote the celebration of Emancipation Day.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the Joseph Project, which would be launched in year 2007, would be more interesting if the Egyptians supported Ghana adding, tourists could be taken to Egypt to see the pyramids.