Richard Aniagyei
According to the Minister for Tourism, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed
Awal, the industry will create 150,000 jobs for young people across all
sub-sectors.
He stated that this target if achieved, would represent a
significant jump from 2022 figures, where international tourist arrivals grew
by 46.7% from 623,523 in 2021 to 914,892 in 2022.
The minister projected that this growth trend will continue,
with estimated revenue for 2023 expected to hit US$3.4 billion, up from the
US$2 billion realized in 2022.
Dr Awal expressed hope that Ghana will achieve the
international arrivals target of two million by 2025 with over US$5.2 billion
in revenue adding that "This would surpass key sectors, including mining,
cocoa, oil, and gas sectors."
He stressed that although Ghana's arrivals recovery stands
at 81%, significantly higher than the African average, and around that of
recovery levels for European markets, there is still more that can be done to
attract tourists and further deepen the sector's growth and progress.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akwasi Agyeman noted that
Tourism data played a very vital role in policy formulation and measuring
return on investments.
However, achieving these ambitious targets will require
continuous investment in infrastructure, marketing, and training to ensure that
Ghana can compete with other destinations in the region.
He announced that GTA's 50th-anniversary celebration,
spanning from April to August 2023, will include various activities such as
Kwahu Paragliding Festival, May Day celebrations across the country, staff
bonding activities, a tourism summit chaired by the president.
Others include health screening, blood donation and launch
of retiree association, a tour of key sites and attractions, Panafest and
Emancipation Day in July, and an Industry Games to climax the celebrations in
August.