Since 1992, when we begun our democratic journey, successive governments have routinely touted the idea of diversifying the nation’s economy with emphasis, especially on agriculture.
But hardly have the governments, from the era of Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, John Dramani Mahama to now Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, looked seriously in the direction of tourism as a veritable source of economic activity. Or, if they did, it was purely for entertainment.
The reason for this conclusion in the opinion of this newspaper, is the caliber of people that have been appointed to head this very important ministry, which has huge potential, not only for foreign exchange, but employment.
Ghana is known to have several tourist destinations and sites, such as Cape Coast Castle, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Kakum National Park, Paga Crocodile Pond, Wli Water Falls, Mole National Park, Aburi Botanical Gardens, Manhyia Palace etc.
The capacity of this unique sector of the economy to generate businesses and jobs are limitless. Also, worthy of mention is its use as a means through which people can preserve their natural and cultural heritage for future generations.
However, despite the rich heritage this sector harbours, the country is still grappling with low investment, poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, corruption and the lack of policies that can be deployed to harness its huge potential. Where a semblance of policy exists, its poor implementation drains the zeal of enthusiasts who deign to venture into the sector.
We make bold to point this out because diversification of the economy will not be thorough without a conscious effort to revamp the tourism sector. Countries such as the United States, France, and other European countries are traditionally famous tourist destinations across the world with an established tourism market.
China, despite its huge industrial and manufacturing base, has massive investments in tourism with splendid tourism sites such as the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Temple Heaven, and the Great Wall among dozens of others, which fetch the Chinese government billions of dollars in revenue every year and offer millions of jobs to Chinese citizens.
Tourism globally is a $9 trillion business. Africa attracts less than five per cent, why? It is time for Ghana to tap into this untapped sector.
It is our opinion that Ghana, must take more significant steps to reposition the tourism industry in the country with the aim to gain more from the $9 trillion, said to be the global worth of the industry.
Tourism holds a huge potential for this country. Just last week the legendary American Singer, Steve Wonder was given Ghanaian citizenship. The gesture should not stop there, we should leverage on his popularity in the Diaspora to attract more of our brothers and sisters to come back home.
