The tourism industry is projected to generate about $2.3 billion into the Ghanaian economy this year, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, has said.
The revenue, he said, was expected to be raised through tourists’ arrivals and spending, charges at the various tourist sites.
The Minister said this during the inauguration of a 10-member board of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board in Accra on Wednesday.
He said the tourism sector last year generated $2 billion, which was a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
According to him, the sector was also determined to create 150,000 jobs out of tourism and culture activities this year.
Dr Awal said international tourism last year rose by more than 100 per cent with domestic tourism of about 800,000.
He said under National Tourism Destination Single Window Project (NTDSWP) which was expected to be launched in London next week, international tourist arrivals were envisaged to rise to one million this year.
Dr Awal explained that the NTDSWP, was to ensure Ghana become the major tourism destination Africa.
Dr Awal said the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted negatively on the tourism industry and players in the sector needed to be creative and adopt innovative strategies to attract more visitors into the country to revamp the sector and generate more revenue for the country.
“We need to be creative and innovative to bring lots of people into the country to shoot up the cedis, create jobs for the people as well as contribute to the general good of Ghana,” he added.
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He said tourism all over the world was a major contributor to many economies and Ghana could make so much from the sector if the country’s tourist sites were developed.
“Ghana has about 65 to 70 per cent of all the forts and castles used during the colonial rule but we do not make good use of them. Over 30 museums and castles in this country since independence have not been modernised or rehabilitated but our unique selling position of tourism is our forts and castles,” DrAwal said.
The Minister disclosed that the National Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and other tourist sites were being refurbished.
“The National Museum is expected to be opened to the public by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in June,” DrAwal said.
He said during the opening of the National Museum, official cars used by the Past Heads of State and Presidents which had been repaired would be rented to generate revenue for the state.
He urged all stakeholders to support the domestic tourism drive to promote national unity and development.
