Develop tourists sites (spread)

A GROUP of writers on travelling, who visited tourist sites in the Central, Ashanti and Eastern regions last week, have observed that the diverse range of tourist attractions in Ghana gives the country immense advantage over many other countries on the continent.
The writers, some of whom had travelled to more than 100 countries world-wide, said the country had tremendous tourism potential and underscored the need for it to be developed in order to reap its full benefits.
The writers, who are considered world renowned travel writers, included international journalists and broadcasting experts, editors, photographers and reporters from major travel industry publications and media houses in Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Germany and Canada.
They made the observations when they paid visits to Cape Coast, Kumasi, Kyebi and other towns in the three regions as part of the just ended World Tourism Day celebrations in Ghana.
The visit was intended to sell Ghana to the outside world through write-ups and pictorials.
The Fairs and Communications Assistance Officer of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Ms Alla Peressolova, who led the team described the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality as a great asset in the country’s effort to promote tourism.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Ahwiaa, near Kumasi, Ms Peressolova said the welcoming smiles that easily came from the faces of Ghanaians were enough to attract any first time visitor to Ghana to visit the country again.
Ms Peressolova, who has extensive travel experience, said all that Ghana required to do now to become the number one tourist destination was to develop its abundant tourism sites.
She said from the hospitality of the people to the availability of forts and castles and the history behind them; the sea and the beaches; the land mass and the vegetation, mountains and lakes and the different animal species were enough to attract people from all over the world.
Other areas which attracted the writers and other tourists into the country were the traditions and culture of the Ghanaian people, which were seen in chieftancy, historical narration, songs, dances, clothing, notably kente and fugu, leatherware, carvings, beads and variety of food, among others.
In the company of a senior tour guide, Mr Kwaku Passah, and some local journalists, the travel writers had the opportunity to visit the Kakum National Park, the Cape Coast and Elmina castles, all in the Central Region; the Asantehene’s Palace where they had the opportunity to visit the Royal Museum and sat in a meeting of some chiefs and elders presided over by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace.
Other areas they visited were the Ahwiaa Craft Centre, Ntonso, Adanwomase and Bonwire kente and Adinkra production communities, all in the Ashanti Region, to witness wood carving, kuntunkuni designing (local dyeing industry) and also kente weaving.
In the Eastern Region, the travel writers visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Tafo, the Bunso Arboretum and the Okyehene’s Palace where they met some chiefs and queens.
In all those areas, tourism officials and the local people talked to them about those attractions.
The purpose of the World Tourism Day Celebrations, which is supported by the UN, is to create awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and to showcase its effects on social, cultural, political and economic values world-wide.