Takoradi, March 29, GNA – Some 250 operators in the various sectors of the Tourism Industry in the Western Region, have benefited from free training under the Ghana Care Obatanpa project.
The training, would among others equip the industry players with the relevant skills and know-how to attract more customers both local, national and international to bounce back the tourism sector from the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Agyenim Boateng, Deputy Director of Administration and Coordinator of the Ghana Care Obatanpa project at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), noted how COVID-19 reduced arrivals to Ghana from 1.35 million in 2019 to 335, 000 between 2020 and 2021.
The Coordinator noted that a simple arithmetic gave a serious picture of the burden of sorrow, “do the simple calculations, if everybody is spending GH¢1.00 a day, from 1.3 million to 300,000 you see the effects on the country.”
These and other challenging reasons, he stated pushed the government through the Ministry of Finance to allot funds to train the people in the industry into recovery and growth.
The outcome, he said, would help increase sales, promote expansion of existing businesses, and build capacity of players to perform effectively.
They would be taken through digital marketing, customer service, and tourism knowledge.
The government, he added, had committed over GH¢100 billion under the project to train and retool various organisations under the seven implementing Ministries.
Mr Lolo Apaloo, a veteran in the tourism sector, educated the participants on customer care services.
“The customer pays us, so, we need to know how to handle them under any circumstance, a business is set up because of customers and the customers recognition of the business makes it strive,” he said.
Mr Dredd Azaletey, Co-founder and Creative Director of The Megyeaye Group, who took participants through Digital Marketing tasked them to make good use of social media platforms in marketing their goods and services.
According to him, out of the seven billion people on Earth, about 4.6 billion people were usually active on their social media platforms.
“Marketing on these social media platforms is absolutely free and can help you gain a larger recognition gradually across the globe,” he added.
Certificates of participation were presented to all the Participants.
GNA