Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Creative has urged the newly-inaugurated Governing Board of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to create one million jobs in the tourism value chain and make Ghana the tourism hub of Africa.

He asked the Board to make tourism the number one contributor to Ghana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through the development of innovative ideas to improve domestic and international tourism for national development.

Dr Awal said this when he inaugurated and administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 11-member Board.

He commended the former Board members for their selfless contribution to the sector and urged the new Board to help cultivate a culture of travel, "be it religious, funeral, corporate or international tourism."

"Work on staff welfare, let customer care be your watch word, and develop the capacity of tourism practitioners to improve the industry. We shall not tolerate antagonism, we expect you to work together to achieve the goal of government," he said.

Dr Awal noted that there were challenges as well as opportunities in the sector and encouraged the Board to focus on building a very vibrant, resilient tourism economy that would propel Ghana, create jobs for the people, and make tourism number one.

\Mr Charles Osei Bonsu, Chairman of the Board, said members were aware of the mandate of GTA and pledged their readiness to put resources together to work to achieve the task assigned them.

"We are aware of the challenges and we hope to turn them into opportunities...."

Members of the new Board are: Mr Akwasi Owusu Agyeman, the Chief Executive of GTA; Mr John Yao Agbeko, Ministry of Tourism; Madam Eva Esselba Mends, Ministry of Finance; Mr Samuel Seth Passah, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development; Madam Fati Lily Soale, Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs; Mr Mohammed Abdul-Karim, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

The rest are: Madam Cecilia Sheitu Nyadia, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology; Mr Gbati Jacob Najombe, Mrs Denta Amoateng Mbe, and Madam Comfort Yamoah.