Accra 4th April, 2023
The Ghana Tourism Authority has launched its Golden Jubilee Celebrations at a short ceremony held at the Accra Tourist Information Centre (ATIC) to take stock of the activities of the Industry while planning for the next fifty. The GTA’s 50th Anniversary celebration which was launched by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, is under the theme “Sustainable and inclusive tourism development 50 years and beyond”.
The event saw the unveiling of a beautifully lighted 3D logo for the anniversary to the admiration of dignitaries and invited guests.
The anniversary launch brought together representatives of the various stakeholders in the tourism industry, including the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ghana Tourism Federation and its affiliate associations namely Ghana Progressive Hotels Association, Tour Operators Union of Ghana, Car Rentals Association of Ghana, Tour Guides Association of Ghana, Traditional Caterers Association, Ghana Event Venders Association among others.
The GTA anniversary will be climaxed with a 50th Jubilee Musical Concert in December, this year. A float, staff durbar, health walk, health screening, paragliding, a Summit on tourism and an awards and dinner night are some of the activities that have been outlined for the celebration.
In his welcome address, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer/Operations, Mr. Ekow Sampson gave an overview of tourism statistics during and after COVID-19 highlighting the significant growth and improvements the Industry has seen. He thanked retired staff and industry players present for their support over the years whilst asking for more support and solidarity in the coming years.
Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, gave an overview of the Industry’s performance in 2022 and paid a special tribute to all those who have over the years contributed in diverse ways to make GTA what it is today i.e. past and present staff, industry players. He made mention of the strong rebound that the Industry has experienced with the hard work of staff, the strong leadership of the Hon. Minister of Tourism and the partnership of the Private Sector.
As part of the Anniversary celebrations, the Board Chairman of the Authority, Hon. Seth Adjei Baah, said we have to leave a legacy worthy of emulation as we all might not be present in the next 50 years. He charged all present to work hard and indulge in self progression through training and eagerness to learn.
The Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, has announced a collaboration between the Ministry and the Ghana Tourism Authority GTA) to leverage and develop tourism to contribute massively to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He said with the right policies and interventions, tourism could be harnessed to become a top foreign exchange earner for the country and further contribute to ensuring sustainable development in the country. He also said the Ministry and GTA would continue to work on training and skill development to help improve on service delivery in the tourism sector.
In a solidarity message, Mr. Yoofi Grant said Ghana has a lot to offer in the way of health and safety, travel, investment opportunities, attractive sights, diversity of culture, food, warmth and hospitality. He commended the achievement by the GTA in the past half century to put Ghana solidly on the world map especially in the wake of the global pandemic and for highlighting Diaspora’s thereby bringing many of them in film, music, sports etc into the country. “Ghanaians in the diaspora are better sales people that we the residents”.
Narrating the history and linking it to the Anniversary, Mr. Ben Anane Nsiah, Deputy CEO/General Services, said GTA has come a long way in fifty years and it is very exciting to note that our partners are still prepared to go with us the next fifty years. He stated that with God’s help and the hard work and cooperation of all concerned, we might deliver 5 billion dollars GDP and the Finance Minister would not have to look elsewhere for financial aid. In the words of the Hon. Minister, Tourism would one day transform the destiny of the Ghana.
The former Human Resource Director of GTA and the Co-ordinator for the Ex- Staff Association, Ms. Adeline Boateng, in her solidarity message stated that it is a great pleasure to be part of GTA’s 50th Anniversary as most of the members of the Ex staff Association have first hand experiences and have been part of Ghana’s tourism growth over the years. ‘The knowledge that MOTAC and GTA have continued to weather various storms in half a century whilst growing steadily, effectively and efficiently is very admirable’.
Dignitaries present at the launch were the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, Board Chair of GTA, Hon. Dr. Seth Adjei Baah, CEO of GTA, Mr. Akwasi Agyman, CEO of Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), Mr. Yoofi Grant, CEO of Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), Mr. Kwadwo Odame Antwi and DCEO/ Operations, GTA, Ekow Sampson. Others were Mrs. Alisa Osei Asamoah, President of the Tour Operations Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), Mr. Seth Ocran, President of Car Rentals Association of Ghana, staff of MOTAC, GTA and some former staff of GTA.
The National Planning Committee Members were introduced and inaugurated at the launch. The members are Mr. Ben Anane –Nsiah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer/General Services (Chairman), Jones Aruna Nelson – Director Corporate Affairs, Mr.Johnny Arthur Quarm – Ag. Director Marketing, Lawrence Agbo, Ag. Director Finance, Valerie Afua Mari, Representative from GTA Senior Staff Association and Fauzia Fuseini, Representative from Local Union of TUC.
During the event, the 2022 Tourism Report was also launched by the Hon. Minister, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal and assisted by his Deputy, Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey. The report, which is the fourth edition, covers various outcomes of the work of the Authority and some ongoing infrastructure projects. It also covers inbound visitor data, domestic tourism statistics, fact sheets, the impact of December in GH campaign, a summary of tourism and hospitality enterprises and other useful data.
ABOUT GTA
The Ghana Tourism Authority, which is one of the 13 agencies under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is responsible for promoting the sustainable development of the tourism industry domestically and internationally.
The Ghana Tourism Authority was established in 1973 by the National Redemption Council Decree (NRCD) 224 as amended by the Supreme Military Council Decree (SMCD) 80 in 1977. The Ghana Tourist Board was renamed Ghana Tourism Authority with the passing of the Tourism Bill by an Act of Parliament, ACT 817, (2011). The Authority is in charge of regulating tourism enterprises in Ghana through marketing and promotion, licensing and classification of tourism facilities and services, research and development and the aim is to promote Ghana to be the leading tourism destination in the Sub Region by 2028.
