Tourism Ministry Seeks Parliamentary Backing to Address Sector Challenges
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has appealed for stronger parliamentary support to help address funding, infrastructure and capacity challenges affecting the sector and advance efforts to position Ghana as a leading tourism and cultural destination in Africa.
The appeal was made during a meeting between officials of the Ministry and members of Parliament’s Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism on Wednesday in Accra.
Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mr Yussif Issaka Jajah, described tourism, culture and the creative arts as important contributors to economic growth, employment, foreign exchange earnings and community development.
He said the Ministry was pursuing policies, partnerships, private sector participation and diaspora engagement to drive sustainable national development.
He disclosed that the Ministry’s Medium-Term Development Plan for 2026 to 2029 targets a 50 per cent increase in tourism revenue and a 70 per cent rise in both international and domestic visitor arrivals by 2029.
“The plan also seeks to increase revenue from the culture and creative arts sector by 40 per cent through strategic partnerships, market expansion, digital innovation and support for creative enterprises,” he added.
Mr Jajah highlighted achievements recorded by the Ministry and its agencies. These include the inscription of Highlife Music on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the launch of the Ghana Tourism Marketplace and the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform, and the training of 488 tourism service providers.
He said 193 students had also graduated from programmes run by the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT).
The Deputy Minister further revealed that the government had allocated GH¢40 million to support the film and creative arts sectors, including GH¢20 million for the Film Development Fund.
He added that Ghana had secured a US$30 million grant from China for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the National Theatre.
Mr Jajah also pointed to increased visibility for the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, noting that its social media following had risen from about 475 to more than 14,000 within eight months.
He said the National Folklore Board had secured royalties from 70 entities and enhanced efforts to monetise Ghana’s cultural assets.
Despite these gains, he said the sector continued to face challenges, including inadequate funding, delayed budget releases, infrastructure deficits, obsolete equipment, weak ICT systems, staff shortages and low enrolment at HOTCATT.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to implementing policies and programmes aimed at unlocking the sector’s potential and expanding its contribution to national development.
Responding to the concerns, the committee chairman, Mr Alexander Hottordze, assured the Ministry of the parliament’s readiness to support efforts to address the challenges confronting the sector.
He described the engagement as overdue, explaining that although the Committee had existed for about one and a half years, it had not previously met with the Ministry and its agencies to gain a fuller understanding of their operations, achievements and challenges.
Mr Hottordze noted that parliamentary oversight of the tourism sector is shared between the Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism and another committee responsible for culture and related agencies.
He said the Committee was mandated by the Constitution to investigate and inquire into the activities and administration of ministries, departments, agencies and other public institutions.
The Chairman acknowledged concerns raised by the Ministry, including inadequate and delayed budget allocations, logistical difficulties, a shortage of vehicles, deteriorating infrastructure, obsolete equipment and skills gaps.
He also stressed the need to strengthen training programmes and improve facilities at HOTCATT.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
