Media practitioners in Ghana, particularly journalists, have been urged to help promote the Ghanaian tourism industry so as to help attract foreign and domestic investments.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, who made the appeal last Wednesday, July 3, 2021, at a press soiree and the launch of the Inter Tourism Expo in Accra (iNTTA 2021), said the media plays a critical role in driving investments to the tourism sector.
The event was on the theme: “The Media, a key partner to Tourism Development and Growth.”
He said many countries around the world have been able to promote their tourism industry due to the boost they received from their media practitioners.
That, he noted, although the Ghanaian media had over the years remained a key ally to the tourism sector, it could do more to throw more light on the potentials of the country’s tourism industry.
Background
The Inter Tourism Expo is a private sector-led annual event owned by Global Signature and managed under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture and its agencies.
The Inter Tourism Expo 2021 is a tourism and trade show to be hosted in Accra, with the aim to promote its brands, destinations, products and services in Ghana. The event will attract exhibitors, buyers and trade visitors from across the globe.
The iNTTA 2021 is expected to host 150 exhibitors, 200 hosted buyers and 500 trade visitors at the Accra International Conference Centre from September 28 to 29, 2021.
Opportunities
Mr Mantey said the event presents rare opportunities for participants to showcase what they have as well as putting the country’s tourism sector a notch-higher on the world map of tourism destinations.
The Chief Executive Officer of Global Signature, Emmanuel Treku, touching on the objectives of the expo, said it was to provide a cost-effective tourism business promotional platform for sellers and buyers in the tourism industry to network and do business in a friendly environment while putting the culture and warmth of Ghana in the limelight.
In addition, he noted, the expo was also intended to help set a platform that links the small and medium tourism enterprises with the international tourism market, as well as to promote and showcase Ghana as a preferred tourism destination in Africa.
“We envisage that iNTTA2021 will give impetus to the Beyond The Return activities and further promote sustainable tourism trade in Ghana,” Mr Treku noted.
He said the expo would take the format of travel and trade exhibitions with conference elements focusing on tourism promotion and sustainability, amongst other related market issues.
Other areas
Touching on the role of the media, Mr Treku said “the role of the media in this agenda to promote Ghana as a preferred tourism destination is crucial and cannot be underestimated”, adding that “the media being the gatekeeper of information, provides us with the platform to project Ghana in this regard.”
“It is our hope that this event will open the door for many more follow-up activities aimed at revamping the sector, thereby, creating employment opportunities and wealth. The organisers of the Expo are working on creating an award scheme for deserving journalists who excel in promoting tourism through the various media platforms,” he noted.
