By Hafsa Obeng/Jeremiah Hayford Sekyi
Accra, July 5, GNA – The Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, says the tourism sector will generate between $6 to $7 billion per annum for the country in the next two years.
He said with the rate at which the sector was growing due to the massive investment by the government, that growth was expected with the creation of more than 100,000 jobs every year.
The Minister said this at the commissioning of the redeveloped and modernised Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, on Tuesday, in Accra.
Dr Awal said Ghana had been endowed with heritage and political tourism and that it was important to leverage those to make the country the number one in tourism on the continent.
“The big countries in Africa in terms of tourism have so many tourist attractions but Ghana has heritage and political tourism and that is what we want to leverage to make Ghana the preferred heritage site on the continent.”
Dr Awal said very soon the Du Bois Centre, George Padmour Library, National Museum and the Osu castle would all be modernised and linked to the forts and castle to make Ghana the heritage attraction site in Africa.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is a monument of historic significance in Ghana. It is dedicated to the memory of the country’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It also serves as the resting place for the remains of the first President and his wife, Fathia Nkrumah.
The Park is located at the coast of Accra, on the former British colonial Polo Grounds, where Dr. Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana as an independent nation.
Since its establishment in 1992, visitors from all over the world numbering up to about 98,000 each year, come and pay homage to Ghana’s first President, learn about his life, and legacies.
The Park is one of the 10 most visited sites in Ghana.
Mr Pierre La Porte, World Bank Country Director, said the benefits of tourism, arts and culture could not be underestimated, and that there were so many works in the pipeline to support and develop the sector to generate the needed resources for the country.
He said the commissioning of the Park should serve as reminder to the visionary leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
“He played a very critical role in the politics not just in Ghana but on the continent and needs to be honoured as such.
“Dr Nkrumah’s actions make him one of the most important leaders on the continent and the Bank is excited to be part of the process of uplifting the image of his final resting place, and we look forward to better collaborations in the future with the sector.”
Madam Samia, Nkrumah, Daughter of the Former President, commended the government and the World Bank for collaborating to give a facelift to the facility, saying “with this redevelopment, we are not only talking about the material gains, because as Africans this is a place, we draw inspiration and strength to accomplish the unaccomplished part of our independence”.
Nana Osafo Kantanka, Project Coordinator, said in recognition of the role of tourism, arts, and culture play in providing the needed foreign exchange, investment, job creation and vibrancy to several sectors of the economy, government secured a $40million credit facility from the International Development Agency of the World Bank to improve the performance of tourism in targeted destinations across the country.
He said the project implemented by the Ministry through a Project Coordinated Unit, had four main components – strengthening tourism enabling environment, developing tourism sites and destination, tourism enterprise support programme and project management.
Nana Kantanka said the about $3.5 million project of redeveloping and modernising of the Park had introduced an architecturally picturesque reception centre, which housed a host of offices, a modern library, an eatery, a gift shop, an infirmary, and conference facility, which were all digitally controlled.
“The reception facility also has a display platform for the first official vehicle of Dr Nkrumah. Other novel introduction to the Park, include an audio-visually synchronised fountain, which lights up the park at night with colourful variety of lights.”
He said not only had the museum been expanded but had been aesthetically fitted with digital audio-visuals, which chronicled the life of the first President of Ghana among others.
It also has a mini amphitheater for lectures and performances for small groups as well as a picnic area for the youth.
GNA