The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), and the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG), have launched the visit Ghana and #Bringbackthelove campaign.
The initiative is a partnership between the Ghana FA, GTA and the PFAG that seeks to reposition the FA in the minds of fans.
The initiative will see the birth of the ‘Battle of the Stars’ which will involve a series of matches being played to promote domestic and international tourism through football.
“Football is pursued by an increasing number of people in the world and in Ghana, it’s a big industry besides being an important mass sport,” Deputy Director, Operations of the GTA, Ekow Sampson, said.
“Football vitalises the tourism sector and increase patronage of hotels, restaurants, transportation, night clubs, visit to tourist attraction sites and all the tourism value chain which invariably generates employment, increase government revenue and distribute income,” he added.
Deputy General Secretary of the PFAG, Solomon Torson, was excited about the initiative, alluding that it feels good for the three bodies to team up to #Bringbackthelove.
“We at the PFAG are happy that this partnership is officially being unveiled. We are committed to the #BringBackTheLove agenda of the GFA and want to help in bringing the love of football following the return of football,” he said.
“We’re ready to make our members available for the promotion of tourism and the development of football.
“I, however, want to end by saying we must not forget our past heroes who did a lot to make this great nation proud,” he noted.
President of the GFA, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, who could not hide his excitement, acknowledged the importance of the partnership and described football and tourism as bedfellows.
“I am pleased to be part of this novel initiative which seeks to espouse football and tourism for a greater cause.
“It is no secret that the sport industry holds the passion of millions of people. We call them fans – important stakeholders in any sporting activity.
“Fans drive the games; fans fuel the flame of passion in football and fans drive the marketability and commercialisation of the game; not only local but globally as well,” he asserted.
