Dr Awal (right) interacting with Mr Adams
Dr Awal (right) interacting with Mr Adams

Tourism Ministry partners City of New York to grow sector

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) and the Office of the New York Mayor have begun collaborations to drive Ghana’s effort to become the tourism hub in Africa.

The Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, has expressed his determination to support Ghana to achieve the desired objective.

The mayor was speaking after the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, had conferred a “Tourism Ambassador” title on him in New York, USA, over the weekend.

The ceremony was on the sidelines of a Global Citizen Prize and Summit.

The summit recognises the contributions of remarkable change-makers working towards ending extreme poverty in their respective communities and also fostering social change across the globe.

Support

Mr Adams expressed his readiness to help increase the number of tourists from New York, in particular, and the US in general, to Ghana to enhance international tourism.

New York is the wealthiest and most populous city in America. It is also the commercial and financial capital of the US.

“I have been to Ghana and I enjoyed my stay in that beautiful country. Ghana is a peaceful country with a globally respected President,” Mr Adams said.

He said the launch of “The Year of Return” project by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was a clear indication of Ghana’s commitment to rally the Black race and unite them with their motherland.

Arrivals

For his part, Dr Awal said the US was the biggest source of international arrivals in Ghana, accounting for about 30 per cent of all tourist arrivals over the years.

He said the ministry’s goal was to attract two million international tourists to the country annually from 2024, adding that support from the Mayor would help achieve that objective.

The minister also said the country had a rich and diverse culture, as well as over 30 forts and castles, making Ghana an attractive tourism destination.

He said tourism was not only a source of leisure but also an avenue for the promotion of trade and investment.

Mr Awal congratulated Mr Adams on being the second Black Mayor of New York.

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