Tourist Board Launches Plan

THE Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) has introduced its three-year (2002 - 2005) marketing plan to local tour operators, hoteliers, travel agencies and airline representatives.

The introduction was made by Mr. J. B. Lomo-Nunoo, GTB's planning and business development manager, at a tourism stakeholders meeting hosted in Accra by Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra, last Wednesday.

The overall goal of the three-year marketing project is to improve destination management, adopt a planned approach to marketing, develop a good working relationship with operators and generate innovative programmes for the different markets.

According to Lomo-Nunoo, funding has been granted by the Commonwealth Secretariat for the training of trainers of frontline institutions, design and hosting of an interactive website as well as production of conference brochures, motivation fliers, post-cards, posters, calendars, and fliers for traditional festivals.

Lomo-Nunoo said international arrivals in Ghana are projected to reach 1,062,000 by year 2010 which will be 266% of the 2000 figure of 399,000.

In his remarks, Mr. Thom Sheriff, General Manager of Golden Tulip Accra, called for a more determined co-operative effort by all local stakeholders to move Ghana's tourist industry forward.

The various stakeholders were, therefore, urged to study the GTB Year 2002-2005 Draft Marketing Plan and make inputs.

Those at the meeting included Ms. Abigail Tagoe of the GTB; Mrs. Bertha ge-Graft Johnson, Head of Sales and Marketing at Golden Tulip; Mr. Joseph Ankumah Jnr. of Black Beauty Tours, Mr. Arnold van Mortagbe, Sales and Marketing Manager of South African Airways and Mr. Tony Etse of 2020 Travel and Tours.