OPINION
For instance, the World Travel and Tourism Councilstatistics
indicates that Tourism contributed 10.4%, representing $9,170 billionto global
GDP in 2019, which decreased to 5.5% in 2020 because of COVID-19 worldwide
restrictions.
In 2020, Tourism contributed5.5% to GDP, representing $4,671
billion. Your guess,relating to the sharp decline in 2020, is as good as
mine.Global employment and jobs created in 2019 were 334 million, and that of
2020 stood at 272 million.
Interestingly, the Tourism industry grew by 3.5%, while the
global economy growth ratestood at 2.5, validating the Tourism
industry'sprimacy over other sectors of the economy and, therefore, considered
a "global new currency" with unlimited purchasing power for developed
destinations.
Meanwhile, Tourism contribution in 2019 in Ghana was 5.0% of
the total economy, representing ¢17,497.3 million,an equivalenceof $3,305.1
million and with 6.9% of GDP growth. 623.1jobs were created, representing 5.2%
of the total employment.
The international visitor impact was¢5,087.7 million,an
equivalenceof $961.0 million.(OxfordEconomics & UNWTO).Based on this
brilliant performance, the Hon. Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr
Mohammed Ibrahim Awal;a man with strong business background and shrewdness,
indicated he envisionssteering the affairs of the Industry to rake in annually
$5 billion and subsequently make the Tourism, Arts and Culture Sector the No. 1
contributor to Gross Domestic Product in Ghana in few years.
In the main, "Tourism comprises the activities of
persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for
not more than one conservative year for leisure, business, andother
purposes" (UNWTO). Whereas the Tourism Society of Britain conceptualisesthe
experiential industryas a "temporary short-period movement of people to
destinations outside their normal living and working places", this
articleconceives "Tourism as a socio-cultural and economic experience
and/or activity defined by people, people movement and people
expenditure".
There has not been inhistory that a single discipline, such
as theTourism industry, captures all aspects of human endeavours, delving into
the socio-cultural, economic, political, environmental, historical,
andindustrial realm of life.
The above notwithstanding, one can talk of Educational
Tourism, Conference Tourism, Atomic Tourism, Business Tourism, Adventure
Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Eco-tourism, Industrial Tourism, Medical Tourism
(Health Tourism), Religious and Faith Tourism, Rural Tourism, Sex Tourism,
Space Tourism, Sports Tourism, War Tourism, Wildlife Tourismamong others.
The cross-cutting, multi-faceted and multi-dimensional
characterisation of the Tourism industry supports and validates the article's
position the "Sectoris a global new currency", and when developed in
itsentirety can be a sustained,viable and veritable income stream for countries
except forthe occurrence of a natural disaster such as the coronavirus outbreak
of 2019, which badly bruised the economic flamboyancy of the industry.
In the interim, Ghana can concentrate on the Tourism forms
she has the competitive advantage in and perfect products portfolio development
with emphasis on establishing Unique Selling Points(USP) to increase domestic
and international tourism receipts.
For instance, improving the face of Educational Tourism,
Conference Tourism, Business Tourism, Adventure Tourism, Cultural Tourism,
Eco-tourism, Medical Tourism (Health Tourism), Religious and Faith Tourism, and
Rural Tourism can be a magic wand to shore up earnings in Tourism. Though
prostitution is illegal in Ghana, it is being practised.
The policy on sex tourism is unclear and it is time the
Ghanaian destination came out clear on it. The reason is that the sex tourism industry
is worth billions with millions of sex workers scattered around the world.It is
usually the case that while planning for a vacation, there are
tourists/visitors, who are looking for places where they can have sexual
encounters to enhance their travel experience.
This article believes it has proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, the proposition"Tourism is a global new currency" and if purposely planned can yield gargantuandividends, the kind most destinations never experienced in modern history.
By DR ALPHONSE KUMAZA
The writer is a Specialist in Monitoring and
Evaluation,Corporate Responsibility and SustainabilityStrategic
ManagementEconomic Policy and GovernanceCorporate Governance
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