Ghanaians have been urged to make sightseeing part of their lives and use tourism as a way of de-stressing themselves of existing personal and socio-economic challenges facing them.
Madam Mavis Gyasi Afriyie, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), who made the call, said planning adventure tours and voyages regularly to experience nature and culture could help relief stress and promote good health.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi to mark this year’s World Tourism Day, she said domestic tourism while helping to boost the national economy, could also help the people experience the diverse culture and history of the country.
She said travelling around the country could not only be a lot of fun, but also help the people to reconnect with different cultures and traditions, as well as the various gifts of nature which were abundant in the country.
Madam Gyasi Afriyie stressed the need to channel more resources to the development of tourism to open up the country and improve economic activities of the people, especially those in potential communities.
“Even though the essence of promoting domestic tourism is being championed by many stakeholders in recent times, there is still the need to hammer on exploring more of the country’s tourist sites, share the experiences with others and the world over”, she stated.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNTO) has set aside September 27, every year, as World Tourism Day to create awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, economic, political and cultural values.
This year’s global theme is “Rethinking Tourism” and is focusing on re- imagining the sector’s growth in terms of size and relevance.
In Ghana, the national celebration is taking place in Wa in the Upper West Region under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
Ghana’s theme is “Promoting Domestic Tourism for Wealth Creation in the Communities” to whip up the interest of Ghanaians in the tourism business.
Madam Afriyie explained that this year’s celebration sought to focus on tourism as a driver of development, and urged industry players to strive towards making tourism attractive
The month of September, according to her, has been instituted by the GTA as a tourism month to highlight tourism related activities and events such as festivals, musical concerts and tours.
The essence, according to her, is to encourage people to patronize some of these activities and visit tourist sites in Ghana to create awareness of the role domestic tourism in the socio-economic development of the country.
