Mr John Kwadwo Gyapong, Oti Regional Minister, has called for the strategic development and packaging of the region’s rich natural, cultural and historical resources into globally competitive tourism experiences to attract visitors, create jobs and stimulate investment.
He said the region possessed enormous tourism potential, including rivers, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, caves, wildlife, festivals and diverse cultural traditions, which, if properly developed and marketed, could contribute significantly to its socio-economic transformation.
Mr Gyapong made the call at a Tourism and Hospitality Awards programme organised to recognise individuals, institutions and businesses that had contributed to the promotion and development of tourism and hospitality in the region.
He identified the region’s abundant water resources as one of its major tourism assets, saying the Oti River and Lake Volta offered considerable opportunities for boating, fishing, ferry rides, sightseeing, water sports, and other recreational activities.
The Minister cited the Dadawutu Beach Resort as one of the destinations capable of providing visitors with scenic views of the surrounding mountainous landscape.
He said the water resources also presented opportunities for private sector investment in boat cruises, fishing tourism, water sports, recreation and related hospitality services.
Mr Gyapong mentioned Mount Kyabobo, which rises to an elevation of about 873 metres, as a major attraction capable of offering visitors, panoramic views of the surrounding environment.
Other attractions he identified included Shiare, popularly known as the “Hanging Village” in the Nkwanta South Municipality, noted for its mountains, rivers and historical significance, as well as the nearby Kankale Waterfalls.
He urged the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to collaborate with traditional authorities, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, local communities and the private sector to package tourism products capable of attracting visitors from across Ghana and beyond.
Mrs Maame Efua Houadjeto, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, said every visitor represented an opportunity to tell Ghana’s story in an authentic, creative and memorable way.
She said the tourism industry must embrace technology and innovation while strengthening skills development and professional service delivery.
Mrs Houadjeto stressed that the government could not transform the tourism sector alone, describing tourism development as a collaborative effort involving the public sector, private businesses, communities and other stakeholders.
She said the Authority would continue to work with stakeholders to establish and enforce standards, improve service quality, promote innovation and support capacity development.
The objective, she said, was to ensure that Ghana remained competitive in the increasingly global tourism market.
Mrs Houadjeto challenged tourism practitioners to aspire to the highest standards of excellence and benchmark their operations against leading tourism destinations around the world.
“We cannot compete effectively by doing business as usual, we must continually ask ourselves how we can improve, how we can compete with the best in world, and how we can collectively make Ghana more competitive as a tourism destination,” she said.
She said the ultimate measure of success should not be the number of awards presented but the quality of experiences created for visitors and the reputation Ghana builds as a destination of choice.
Mrs Houadjeto congratulated the nominees and award recipients and encouraged them to continue raising standards of professionalism, innovation and excellence within the tourism and hospitality industry.
GNA
