Use Ghana 2008 To Advertise Ghanaian Dishes- Tourist Board

Local traditional beverages and dishes The Northern Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), Mr William Ayambire, has advised food vendors and drinking bar operators to take advantage offered by the Ghana 2008 to market popular Ghanaian dishes.

He said local dishes such as Fufu, Banku, Ampesi, Rice balls, Akple and Tuo Zafi (TZ) prepared with vegetables or groundnut soups and guinea fowl meat could be well packaged for the foreign visitors attending the football fiesta to enjoy.

Mr Ayambire said this at a two-day training workshop organised by the GTB in collaboration with Cook Art Ghana for food vendors and Chop bar and drinking bar operators in Tamale last Saturday.

The workshop is to help the chop and drinking bar operators to improve upon their service delivery and teach them personal and environmental hygiene as well as the need to keep their surroundings clean for the enjoyment of the meals by the public.

Mr Ayambire impressed on the participants to be courteous when dealing with their customers and avoid using cunning ways of taking 'tips' from people who patronise their services.

He also urged Chop and drinking bar operators to enhance the satisfaction of customers by providing them with good Ghanaian music and consider organising some traditional dances to portray Ghanaian culture and hospitality.

The Regional Manager advised them not to engage teenagers to serve at their premises so as to avoid the situation for some people who do not understand the Ghanaian culture to misconstrue it as child labour.

Mr Ayambire asked the bar operators to ensure good manners to all the visitors for the games so that it would encourage them to come back as tourists and investors, adding

'This is a unique opportunity for us and we should not allow it slip us by.'

Madam Bella Ahu, National Coordinator of Cook Art Ghana said her outfit in collaboration with the GTB has so far trained over 3,000 Chop and drinking bar operators throughout the country in preparation towards the success of the Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta.