By Hafsa Obeng, Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, July 17, GNA – The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Tour Guides Association of Ghana (TORGAG) have paid a familiarization tour to the redeveloped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
The tour was to enable members of both organisations to have first-hand information about the redeveloped facility to be able to deliver their services well to tourists and to promote and encourage domestic tourism in Ghana.
Mr Jones Aruna Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs, GTA, said the joint tour was the
beginning of several engagements with stakeholders in the industry to intensify efforts in promoting domestic tourism.
He said, “we need the stakeholders like the tour guides, tour operators, among others to have a first-hand information of the redeveloped Park in other to be able to tell the world about the story and the facility we have in Ghana.”
Mr Nelson said his outfit had started with a project on the theme: “developing of sites and attraction”, adding that a Legislative Instrument (LI) had been passed as part of GTA’s mandate to regulate the various sites and attractions.
“We have a project that we started which is developing of sites and attraction and a Legislative Instrument (LI 2393) has been passed as part of the Ghana Tourism Authority’s mandate to regulate the sites and attraction.”
Some of the projects ongoing include the Kintampo Water Falls, Tetteh Quarshie, Aburi
Botanical Gardens, and Bonwire.
“The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is the major one since Nkrumah was Ghana’s first President who championed the cause of independence for other African countries,” he added.
He said there were also ongoing training programmes for the tour operators.
Mr Nelson reiterated the need for proper maintenance of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, saying “maintenance is key because a lot of money has been spent so we needed to maintain it to the higher standard.
“I will say that the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park now is a first class park if compared to memorial parks across the world.”
Mr Nelson encouraged Ghanaians to visit the redeveloped Park to promote domestic tourism and learn some important history of Ghana.
Mr Samuel Ashford Banibensu, National President TORGAG, said as an association, which role was to educate, inform and create awareness about tourists sites across the country, being abreast with the Park was important.
“The Park has now been given a facelift with so many new facilities and things so its important we come here for our members to know all these so they can give tourists a pleasurable experience.”
He expressed satisfaction about the new facility, and commended Government for the effort. “At least now we can feel proud to bring tourists here knowing that they would enjoy the experience.”
GNA