Tourism Ministry Has A Problem- Abeiku Santana

The Chief executive officer of Kaya Tours and Ace Broadcaster Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana in an exclusive interview on East Legon based radio station Power 97.9 FM on their entertainment show dubbed Power entertainment disclosed the problems the country is facing with regards to Tourism when asked the state of Ghana’s Tourism.

Last Thursday 27th September, was World Tourism day and this year’s theme was ‘Tourism and the digital transformation’ and according to Abeiku Santana, anyone who want to travel to Ghana shouldn’t suffer. If someone want to travel to Ghana how would the person get easy access, so this year’s theme is to link people through the internet to get visa online ,hotels and other necessary things on the internet but Ghanaians didn’t understand and we seem to be doing differently from what the world is preaching. We are hoping and praying for the best as we keep educating the public, he lamented.

When the host, Agyemang Prempeh asked who is in charge of educating the masses about the digital transformation of Tourism, Abeiku said ‘’ the ministry of Tourism is entitled of that but the ministry has a problem. Since 1993 when the tourism was established, it has never been consistent because the name keep changing and it’s not sustainable.

”The ministry is in charge of the arts, culture, and the main stakeholders of tourism which makes it too much. The ministry is not focus due to the task on them. The ministry has the authority but do not have the necessary resources” he said.

The ministry has other implementary agencies such as: Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana Tourism Development Company, Ghana Museum and monument board, Ghana wildlife services and other government agencies and it is the ministry in charge of all these. That is the challenge we have.

He added, ‘’It’s the responsibility of the president to change the state of our tourism. Former President Jerry John Rawlings introduced Panafest which brings people to the country but due to politics the name was changed to Joseph project and it didn’t last. Tourism shouldn’t be about politics because there wouldn’t be unity for development. We should be doing things that will attract people to come to the country.

The beaches are smelling

Our drivers are not educated about tourism

Restaurant operators are not educated

We need to look at all these problems and solve them to help our Tourism Ministry grow

STORY WRITTEN BY: DANIEL LARTEY