The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, says the sustenance of the tourism industry will depend on the optimal use of environmental resources, economic and respect for the socio-cultural benefits of local communities.
According to the Minister, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had devastating impact on the industry with reduced patronage of tourism products and services as a result of the lockdown restrictions.
Mr Mantey disclosed this during a day’s conference on Tourism, COVID-19 and the Environment held in Accra yesterday.
It was organised by the Earth Rights Ghana, a non-governmental organisation in partnership with Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).
Under the theme: “Sustaining Tourism beyond COVID-19,” it sought to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry and the need to put sustainable ecological and environmental considerations into tourism decisions.
Mr Mantey said the COVID-19 pandemic caught global tourism arrivals by 73 per cent in 2020 and exports by four per cent.
“Indeed 2020 has gone down in history as the worse year in tourism with about one billion fewer international travels. But we have been told to hope after one year of unprecedented disruptions, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has reported that the tourist sector is beginning to revive in some areas, but even now, travel restrictions remained valid for most global destinations and the hospitality and aviation sectors remain the worst hit,” he said.
He reiterated the Ministry’s commitment of increasing the tourism revenues to $5 billion by 2022.
The Minister expressed regret about the non-compliance of the COVID-19 protocols by some operators in the hospitality industry.
“The regulator of the tourism industry has been charged to enforce compliance to the latter,” he stated.
He assured that measures were being put in place to ensure the recovery of the tourism industry.
“The President has assured Ghanaians that the economy will surely bounce back. The contribution of the sector is very much assured and this can be done if all stakeholders play their roles,” Mr Mantey said.
The President of Earth Rights Ghana, Mr Enimil Ashon, said the government’s ambitious target would be realised through the effective planning by policy makers, regulators, practitioners and other stakeholders.
He said the government must take eco-consciousness issues seriously in its policies as part of effort to develop the tourism.
“Soon eco-consciousness will be a universal demand and some markets in the north will become impenetrable not because of skin colour but considerations of ecological survival for all,” he stated.
He added “Awareness of this reality must be created from now so that little by little environmental considerations will, with time become number one item on the agenda in management and board meetings in the tourism and travel industries.”
The Head of Built Environment, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mrs Cindy Badoe, for her part expressed EPA’s commitment to collaborate with various stakeholders to deliberate on how it could assist to comply with the country’s environmental laws and regulations.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
