The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Professor Kobby Mensah, has outlined some initiatives his office has proposed for the growth of the tourism industry.
Speaking to Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, he said he and his team have developed about twelve tourism products and services.
One of these products, Night Tours, he believes, aligns with the NDC’s 24-hour Economy concept.
“I have focused my attention on building products and services and also costing them—that is, making projections for the next five years. That is what my team has been doing. So far, we have created almost twelve products.
“We are going to do Night Tours (Accra by Night), a Science Park Tour, and the Ghana Tourist Market Place. You have to create products to generate resources, which can then be reinvested into the projects,” he noted.
According to him, the Night Tours will allow Ghanaians to visit tourist attractions even after working hours.
“I don’t see why we cannot have Night Tours. The days are so choked in Accra, and I still do not understand why people rush home around 4 or 5 o’clock after work.
“We cannot force people to spend two hours after work, but we can encourage them because you can’t legislate for people to stay out. However, you can instigate them with well-planned programs,” he explained.
He further disclosed plans to introduce a Tourist Incentive Voucher (TIV), which will reward high-performing employees with vouchers to visit various tourist sites.
He added that his office is working on several initiatives not only for the 24-hour Economy but also for the Black Star Experience.
GTDC is one of the 13 agencies under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts. It was established as a Private Limited Liability Company in 1972 under the Companies Code 1963 (Act 176) to promote tourism development in Ghana.
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