Dr. Aidoo hails Ghana’s tourism industry

Dr. Tony Aidoo, Ghana’s Ambassador-designate to the Netherlands, on Saturday, said Ghana’s tourism industry has a huge potential and is the most promising sector of the economy.

He said there is a great deal of potential in the tourism sector in Ghana, such as ecotourism and cultural tourism, which has to be developed for the nation’s socio-economic development, declaring that Ghana’s political stability, peaceful atmosphere and the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality is an added advantage.

Dr. Aidoo made these remarks at the weekend in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency at Senchi in the Eastern Region, on the sideline of a day’s tour by the 24 envoys-designate organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, which took them to important tourist sites in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions.

The tour was meant to give the envoys-designate the opportunity to have firsthand information on Ghana’s Tourism Industry, so as to equip them to market the nation in their respective countries of accreditation.

Dr. Aidoo said in order to boost the tourism industry, there was a need to provide good access roads to tourism sites, comfortable and affordable resting places for both local and international tourists.

He said the situation where some hotels and lodges charge above the international standard was a disincentive to the growth of the tourism industry in Ghana.

The Ambassador-designate urged the hospitality industry to provide quality services to their clients and ensure that their staff are well trained to handle customers.

He said the proverbial saying that “the customer is always right” had not been internalized by hospitality service providers in the country, hence they turn to mishandle their customers.

Dr. Aidoo gave the assurance that he would project Ghana to the international investor community as the most favourable place to invest in Africa.

He further urged the hospitality industry and national parks to provide buses to transport tourists to tourism sites, stating that 'the safari' is good business to undertake.

Mr. Akologu John Tia, former Information Minister and now an Ambassador-designate, on his part said, tourism in Ghana is a very vibrant area that any investor should be confident to invest in.

He said Ghana is a very peaceful place where the rule of law prevails and investors must feel free to come and invest in all sectors of the economy, including the tourism industry.