The Hohoe Municipality in the Volta Region will be the epicenter of Ghana’s commemoration of this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD2021).
The commemoration of World Tourism Day is held on the 27th of September each year to showcase the tourism sector’s unique ability to drive economic development, preserve and promote culture and heritage as well as to provide opportunities for all. Cote d’lvoire is the host of this year’s global in celebrations.
In communique issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ghana will observe the day on the global theme, “Tourism for Inclusive Growth” to convey tourism role in ensuring the many social and economic benefits that tourism brings is available to everybody resulting in wealth creation and poverty reduction.
The celebration of WTD2021 will reaffirm the sector’s commitment to building a more prosperous and peaceful world through tourism with everyone onboard. It is both timely and necessary. The restriction on international travel compounded by hotel quarantine for all arrivals and the extended and unintended effect has made clear the relevance of tourism to our societies.
The economic and social impact has been felt far beyond the sector itself. And in many places, the most vulnerable members of society have been hit hardest of all. Therefore, unlocking the potential of tourism, its extensive value chain and investments facilitation and opportunities can deliver more inclusive and sustainable growth in traditionally marginalized communities with huge tourism and other resources. By expanding access to tourism education and delivering sector-specific training will give everybody the chance to benefit from tourism’s future growth.
Speaking on Tourism Drive show on Okay Fm on Tuesday, a Senior Officer at the Corporate Affairs Department of the Ghana Tourism, Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi said a number of activities; including, a Public-Private Forum, Tree Planting Exercise and a hike up Ghana’s highest peak, Afadjato.
“Working for inclusive growth means getting everybody behind a better vision for tourism through which inclusive growth, global poverty and inequality levels between countries will improve and thereby incentivizing a unique occasion to amplify the conversation about the sector’s role for the revitalization of the sector following the effects of COVID-19 pandemic,” the communique said of the theme.
Ghana raked in $3.3 billion in tourism revenue with a total of 1.3 million tourist’s arrivals by the end of 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic had however, reduced the gains made by two/thirds in 2020 and depressed the tourism value chain indicators.
For Ghana’s tourism sector to recover from the pandemic shocks, the Ministry has initiated some interventions such as launching of the Domestic Tourism Campaign dubbed “Experience Ghana- share Ghana,” grants for tourism SME’s and site upgrades.
