Tourism Ministry takes 2021 World Tourism Day Celebration to Ho

The 2021 edition of the World Tourism Day celebration under the theme “Tourism for Inclusive Growth” would take place at the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region on Monday, September 27, 2021.

This was announced by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in a press statement released on Monday, September 20, 2021 in Accra.

According to the Ministry, several interventions such as launching of the Domestic Tourism Campaign dubbed “Experience Ghana- share Ghana” including grants for tourism SMEs and site upgrades have been initiated at the event in order for the country’s tourism sector to recover from the COVID 19 pandemic shocks.

In addition, it is determined to showcase the many social and economic benefits of tourism to everybody in terms of wealth creation and poverty reduction.

“The celebration of this day 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,” part of the statement reads.

In order to achieve this, the ministry is calling for all hands on deck for a better tourism, saying that “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 statement added, “The Ghanaian destination raked in $3.3 billion with a total of 1.3 million tourist’s arrivals by the end of 2019. The pandemic had 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” including grants for tourism SME’s and site upgrades.

“Management and staff welcome our tourism industry players and all Ghanaians to join us in making the World Tourism Day Celebration an impactful one than ever before.”

The commemoration of World Tourism Day is held on the September 27 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.