Accra, April 4, GNA – Mr Emmanuel Frimpong, Executive Secretary, Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) is optimistic Ghana will generate huge revenue from Agenda 111 through medical tourism to support the economy.
He said “if the Agenda 111 is achieved, it will increase the number of health facilities in the country, and this will give the tourism sector the opportunity to promote medical tourism which is a phenomenon that recently has generated huge revenues for countries that are taking advantage of it.”
Mr Frimpong, reacting to the State of the Nations Address delivered by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, noted that no country in the West African Sub Region had taken advantage of medical tourism and so Ghana could set the pace through the Agenda 111.
Agenda 111 is a project by the government involving designing, procurement, construction, equipping and commissioning of 101 district hospitals, seven regional hospitals, two psychiatric hospitals and the redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
He said the construction of Creative Arts Senior High School, at Kwadaso, if done properly, should be able to impact on the sector positively, saying “we cannot have a tourism sector that is buzzing and growing without the Creative Arts.
Mr Frimpong said the Creative Arts was central to tourism and played an integral role in everything done within the sector and cited the success of the “Year of Return.”
“If the school is completed it will help train interested students who will come out as professionals to support the sector. It will also help create jobs and generate revenue for the country.”
He said the upgrading and equipping of the TVET institutions was also another laudable initiative by the government to help meet the skill needs of the tourism and hospitality sector.
“One major challenge of the tourism and hospitality sector is having the right people at the right places. And in this sector most people begin from the scratch, very much unscaled and unfortunately there is no clear pathway to career development. So, if these institutions are equipped, we will be able to churn out skilled personnel who will help the sector.”
“We need to believe in Ghana and be inspired by Ghana. We all have a role to play, and no individual person can help the country bounce back. So as a sector, a federation and private sector, we have confidence in the country and believe that if we do the right thing, we will be able to come out stronger than before,” he said.
GNA