The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts says it intends to cash in on the Ebola outbreak.
According to the ministry it will do so by promoting domestic tourism amidst the outbreak.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare told Citi Business News “The Ministry of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts even though it is interested in international Tourism and will continue to promote it, will rather focus on growing the domestic tourism market. That is why the ministry launched the explore Ghana tourism project which seeks to promote domestic tourism. Though we are slightly challenged by international tourism because of the Ebola scare which has caused the ban on international conferences, we will continue to put up programmes that will make the domestic tourism more attractive to Ghanaians’.
The outbreak of the Ebola virus though not yet in Ghana is having a toll on Ghana’s economy.
Hotels and restaurants as well as airline companies are some of the businesses that have been the hardest hit.
Citi Businesses News checks with hoteliers in the country earlier revealed that their revenues had dropped significantly due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus especially with the cancellation of Conferences.
The situation has resulted in some closing their shuttle services for tourist, while others have put some projects that they are executing with regards to promotion of domestic tourism on hold.
But Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare tells Citi Businesses News even though international tourist visits has gone done significantly due to the Ebola scare in West Africa, her ministry is focusing on promoting domestic tourism to fill up the country’s hotels and restaurants.
‘We think our restaurants, hotels, guest houses and leisure centres will get the necessary patronage to make up for the numbers we are missing during this Ebola outbreak or scare if we promote domestic tourism well.”
By: Norvan Acquah – Hayford
