GHANA’S Tourism sector, last week received a major boost when the Parliamentary-Select-Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism undertook a three-day working tour of some ecotourism sites in the Volta Region.

The visit, which was at the instance of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), was to afford the members of the committee the opportunity to know at first hand, Ghana’s tourism potentials, as well as acquaint themselves with the various challenges of the sector.

Addressing journalists after the tour, Martin Mireku, acting Executive Director of the GTB, noted that the aim of the tour was to introduce the lawmakers to what the nation has to offer in terms of tourism.

He said that it is imperative that as a committee responsible for tourism, members get to know much about the sector so that when the issues on tourism come up on the floor of Parliament, they will be able to handle them based on the information they have.

He stated that since the committee also had the privilege of looking at budget estimates of the Board before they go to the floor of parliament; there was the need to give members an insight into the activities of the sector.

Mr. Mireku added that there was the need to lobby government and that, the tour was one way of lobbying, using the members of parliament.  He mentioned that the tour which would be undertaken periodically, would take the committee to other sites of the country.

He called for greater government support for the tourism sector, which he described as the bedrock of the nation’s development. “Now that they have seen what the sector has to offer, they would appreciate the work of the GTB and as such, give it all the needed support,” stressing that the tour had really impacted positively on the members.

He noted that currently, the tourism industry is confronted with challenges of marketing of the tourism products in the country, as well as making them more attractive by way of packaging, and thereby lamented that resources for marketing was lacking.

Mrs. Alice Boon, Member of Parliament for Lambussie, and the deputy ranking member of the committee, said that the tour had indeed exposed them to the attractions and challenges of the industry, and so they would better appreciate the work of the Board.

She however noted that in spite of the numerous beautiful attractions, Ghana could still do better but was quick to lament that “we are not doing much in tourism to develop our country” and therefore, called for more to be done to make the sites more attractive to tourists in order to earn foreign exchange for the nation.

Mrs. Boon observed that tourism can be the highest foreign exchange earner for the country if government paid more attention to it by raising the standards at the various tourist sites. She also called for the encouragement of domestic tourism, emphasizing that people do not appreciate what the country has and therefore pay little or no attention to it.

The Select-Committee Members who were on the trip included Michael Nyaunu- Lower Manya, Benjamin Bimpong Donkor- Hemang Lower Denkyira; J.B Danquah- Akim Abuakwa North; Elizabeth Sackey- Okaikoi North; Agnes Chigabatia- Builsa North; Inusah Fuseini- Tamale Central; Nii Tackie Kommey- Odododiodio; Abdul Razak Umar-Tolon, and Imoro Yakubu- Kumbugu.

             The Ghanaian Times    -           Monday, July 16, 2007                 Page:  22