Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been urged to identify and develop new tourist sites across the country to attract both local and international visitors. The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, said this initiative had the potential to boost Ghana’s economy and diversify the nation’s tourism offerings.

According to the Minister, her Ministry is committed to enhancing tourism development in all 16 regions by supporting the discovery and proper packaging of untapped tourist attractions. She made the call during an inspection of a slave market site at Agbozume in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region, which is being considered for development into a major tourist destination.

Ms Gomashie emphasised that tourism held the key to rapid national transformation, urging all stakeholders to collaborate effectively with the Ministry to make this vision a reality. She added that MMDAs had a crucial role to play in discovering and promoting potential tourism sites that could generate income to support their local development initiatives.

The Minister disclosed that plans were underway to improve road infrastructure leading to major tourist centres across the country. This, she said, would make such destinations more accessible to both domestic and international tourists, thereby boosting tourism arrivals and revenue.

Highlighting the sector’s economic importance, Ms Gomashie revealed that tourism currently contributes GH¢4.8 billion to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). She expressed optimism that the ongoing initiatives would double the sector’s contribution within the next four years, as part of the Ministry’s broader transformative agenda.

She further explained that the government’s objective was to diversify the country’s tourism landscape beyond the well-known forts, parks, and wildlife sanctuaries by developing new attractions that reflect Ghana’s cultural and natural richness.

Ms Gomashie encouraged young people, particularly pupils and students, to take an interest in ecotourism. She noted that participation in such activities would help them appreciate Ghana’s cultural heritage and prepare them for future employment opportunities in the tourism sector.

The Minister also urged residents in coastal communities to maintain clean beaches and plant viable economic trees such as coconuts to protect the environment and promote what she described as “blue tourism.” She distributed coconut seedlings to residents of Agbozume, symbolically planting one herself to highlight the importance of nurturing trees for sustainable growth.

The Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Nicholas Worclachie, called for the rehabilitation of key roads, including the Keta-Aflao-Agbozume and Afedome-Havi-Adina-Blekusu stretches, to enhance accessibility and promote tourism in the area. He stressed that improved road networks would not only facilitate tourism development but also support the smooth take-off of the proposed Keta Harbour Project.