Ghana Tourism Authority to establish tourism clubs in schools

Mr Michael Kpingi, the Acting Western Regional Manager of Tourism, has called on second cycle institutions to form tourism clubs in their schools and get acquainted with the rich tourist attractions in the country.

This, he said, would help broaden their scope on the nation's culture through regular visits to historical sites and places of interest.

Mr Kpingi was addressing a cross-section of students from second cycle schools during a quiz competition held to mark this year’s World Tourism Day in Takoradi.

This year's celebration which is being marked by member nations of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), was held under the theme: "Sustainable Tourism; A Tool for Economic Development".

Students from the Ghana Secondary, Technical School (GSTS), Fijai Senior High School and Sekondi College (SEKCO) participated in the competition which centered on 36 key questions on tourism in Ghana and abroad.

SEKCO emerged first with 42 points followed by Fijai SHS with 39 points and GSTS placing third with 35 points.

All the three schools were given certificates from the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Mr Kpingbi reminded stakeholders in the hospitality industry that sustainable tourism could be achieved with the regular flow of tourists to interesting sites of the country to learn about the rich culture of the nation.

He said it is necessary for students to move to tourist sites to experience what they learn in the classroom.

"To this end, tourist attractions in the Western Region such as the forts, beaches, hotels, rivers the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum at Nkroful and other places of interest, would be improved and harnessed to attract tourists and make the industry a foreign exchange earner," he said.

Mr Ebenezer Tetteh Azu, the quiz master, called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to introduce tourism into the educational curriculum.

He also called on government to establish ‘tourism centers’ in each district to make the sector more vibrant and attractive to students and the youth.