The Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Cape Coast, Professor Issahaku Adam is advocating for Ghana to add on to the tourism products in the country.
According to him, our failure as a country to diversify our tourism products and develop new products is not making Ghana’s tourism sector ideal.
A Tourism Product is defined by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as “a combination of tangible and intangible elements, such as natural, cultural and man-made resources, attractions, facilities, services and activities around a specific center of interest which represents the core of the destination marketing mix and creates an overall visitor experience including emotional aspects for the potential customers.
Speaking exclusively to ATL FM NEWS, he stated that if the country continues to showcase the same tourism products from time to time and does not add on to them, they will lose their appeal over time thereby causing tourists to lose interest in them.
He stated that “with tourism you have to innovate, you have to create and that we are not doing… It’s the same old staff. It’s Kakum forest. And then after Kakum forest is the walkway. Now we have the Bonsu walkway. We have another walkway in the Volta region, the same line of products. So, if I come to Kakum why should I go to the one at Volta? But we should be creating different products to help complement the other ones. So that if a tourist, for instance, come to Kakum it’s unique, then Volta Region, there’s something unique that will take the person there not another walkway”
Meanwhile, he mentioned that adding value to our tourist attractions is another way Ghana can sustain the interest of tourists as we continue to improve the state of tourism in the country.
He notes that the Cape Coast Castle, for instance, can have a replica of the governor’s bed, and wardrobe among others instead of the hollow rooms people find when they go through the castle.
This he explains will give people a sense of imagination when they visit such places as a value addition to even the existing attractions.
“Then people can be able to resonate with whatever it is that happened at the time. Because tourism is all about imagination as well as creating memories” he stated.
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Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
