Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, yesterday July 22, outdoored an interactive digital learning platform designed to improve the knowledge of tour guides, tour operators and others within the tourism value chain.
The digital platform, named, ‘Ghana Guru Digital’ is an additional resource to equip and empower all stakeholders to promote Ghana as a preferred tourism destination in Africa and the world at large.
The learning platform is comprised of three fundamental and four proficiency modules which tour guides, operators, and other stakeholders have to complete. “At the end of the course, participants can take a quiz and receive a certificate upon the successful completion of the course.
The sector Minister, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, addressing the press at the launch asserted that the Ministry is showing the way with the deployment of the digital platform that will engage present and potential domestic and international tourists. “The platform will also extend our marketing reach and sustain interest in the destination to guarantee a full rebound post-COVID-19,” she said.
She advised stakeholders of the tourism industry to take advantage of the numerous opportunities technology presents to them especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced how things were done previously.
Present at the press briefing was stakeholders from across the broad spectrum of the local tourism industry and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyeman who also noted that the ‘Ghana Guru Digital’ platform was to complement the Know Ghana website.
He said, “The Know Ghana website, which is a resource to the general public to provide information about the various tourist attraction sites in the country is now being complemented by the Ghana Guru app which is exclusively for tour guides.”
He believes the combination is a great one which will make Ghana a go-to destination for tourists.
Agyeman indicated that most people in advanced countries take travel decisions because of the information their travel consultants give them and with the ‘Ghana Guru Digital’ platform in place, “It will provide them with information to know about Ghana and properly sell it a preferred tourism destination. Being a guru means you are a master of the trade. ”
Within the scope of the Ghana Tourism Development Project supported by the World Bank, the Ministry of tourism with support from the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has also upgraded tour sites across the country as part of their marketing interventions to enhance the visitor experience, prolong stay and boost visits.
This is part of the measures being undertaken to make Ghana a competitive tourist destination globally.
