The Ministry of Tourism through the Ghana Tourism Authority is advocating for local indigenes and all Ghanaians to patronize tourist sites and attractions around their region during the Easter Celebrations.
The authority is aimed at promoting domestic tourism among Ghanaians and various communities where tourist sites are located.
Domestic Tourism refers to travel within one’s own country for leisure, recreation, or business purposes.
Speaking on the Atlantic Wave, the assistant quality assurance officer of Ghana Tourism Authority, Central Region, Priscilla Boahen expressed concern about the low participation and promotion of locals in domestic tourism.
According to her, indigenes in the country leave that for tourists to enjoy tourist facilities within communities.
“People around either can’t afford or have not heard or do not have the edge to enjoy domestic tourism, such as Kakum National Parks. We have the castles. They don’t even know the history of the castle. They haven’t been there before. They are not mostly concerned about it,” she continued
Priscilla Boahen therefore urged that local tourist clubs and groups be established to promote domestic tourism by engaging locals in knowing what their various vicinity offer in tourism.
Meanwhile, Priscilla Boahen is encouraging the informal sector businesses to cooperate with regulatory efforts, emphasizing the role of the authority in overseeing and ensuring the compliance of their establishments through the acquisition of the necessary licenses.
She mentions that by inspecting these establishments and ensuring hygiene standards, the regulatory body aims to protect consumers, especially tourists engaging in domestic tourism.
“We can go as well as eating your food to see how good it is and if it is going to affect us in any way. So, we know that anybody that is coming to purchase it, I mean, he or she is going to be in good condition. So, we urge those in the informal sectors, that is the chop bars, the drinking bars, to take it easy on us when we come and then try to know that we are their regulatory body.”
The Central Regional Monitoring Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Kofi Mintah Amusah encouraged Ghanaians to patronize the products and services of Ghanaian businesses cited at the various tourist sites in the region.
He expressed that these patronages will go a long way in boosting the economic value of the businesses and the country at large.
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Source: Angelina Riley Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
