Tourism sector catalyst for growth
The World Bank has commended the country’s effort to make tourism a priority for growth, and said it would have an impact on the development of small and medium enterprises, job creation and livelihoods.
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The Country Director of the World Bank to Ghana, Pierre Laporte, said it was in line with such effort that his outfit was supporting the sector with some $40 million under a Ghana Tourism Development project.
He made the commendation when he addressed a Presidential Summit on Tourism at the Peduase Presidential Lodge in the Eastern Region last Tuesday on the theme: “Rethinking tourism for economic growth and job creation”.
The two-day summit, organised at the instance of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, attracted participants from government agencies, departments and the private sector who brainstormed tourism development in the country.
Initiative
Mr Laporte said while the tourism development initiative took off slowly, under the leadership of the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Awal, its implementation accelerated remarkably and the project had made some significant progress.
“The bank stands ready to work with the government to further improve the huge tourism potential, including developing capacity and physical infrastructure,” he added.
According to Mr Laporte, the world economy suffered immensely in recent times from a series of shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine to rising food and oil prices, among other challenges.
“The bank nonetheless commends highly the bold initiatives of the Government of Ghana in managing the current crisis,” he said, adding that the recently approved IMF support programme for the country and from other development partners such as the World Bank should pave the way for the restoration of the country’s macroeconomic sustainability.
“We stand resolute in supporting Ghana in this period of recovery in collaboration with other institutions such as the IMF,” the Country Director said.
Significance
The Chief Executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman, said the summit was a landmark event that brought together visionary minds and influential leaders in the country’s pursuit of progress in tourism.
He expressed appreciation to the President for his leadership and personal interest which had culminated in the growth and development of the industry.
“The President’s unwavering commitment in promoting the nation’s unique cultural heritage and fostering a welcoming environment for visitors has yielded unprecedented results. One such notable initiative was the “Year of Return”, Mr Agyeman added.
He also mentioned a transformative campaign in 2019 where people of African descent from around the globe were invited to the country to reconnect with their roots to experience the nation’s rich history and culture.
According to him, the programme did not only put the country on the global map, but also led to another initiative - “A December in Ghana”.