One of the highly anticipated vetting sessions, especially by stakeholders in the tourism and creative arts sector, was that of Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister-designate for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts.
Nominated for a role that massively contributes to the country’s economy, all eyes were on her, keenly observing her intentions, articulation, and intellect.
Stakeholders were particularly focused on hearing solid points from Dzifa Gomashie, who has been selected to drive this critical sector.
Throughout her vetting, questions came from all angles, and her answers highlighted several key points that are worth noting.
For those who missed the session, here’s a breakdown of some of the most important points for the sector stakeholders:
Here are some key takeaways from Dzifa Gomashie’s vetting:
Review high hotel rates and expansion of facilities
Dzifa Gomashie acknowledged the concern over the high cost of hotel rates and emphasised her intention to address this issue.
She also expressed plans to facilitate further expansion of hotel facilities to attract more tourists, clients, and investors, thus preventing them from choosing other destinations.
“This is a very huge concern as far as hotel rates are concerned. Even with hotels that have franchises all over the world, ours tend to be very high as compared to them,” she added.
Improve infrastructure capacity in the tourism industry
Gomashie highlighted the need to improve infrastructure within the tourism industry to promote investment and growth.
“I agree that our infrastructure must meet the growing demands of both the world and our country. This is something that is visible to us all. I plan to engage with the Minister of Finance and work with anyone who has the expertise to engage the private sector in boosting infrastructure capacity. The lack of these facilities takes away potential revenue for the country,” she explained.
Review the overwhelming tax on hospitality businesses
Addressing the high taxes in the hospitality sector, Dzifa Gomashie called for collective engagement with the finance ministry and industry stakeholders to tackle this issue.
“Taxes have been the cry of the hospitality industry since way back when I used to MC their events. It is an issue that we must collectively deal with. I’ll be tagging along with the finance minister and lobbying him vigorously,” she stated.
Promote ecotourism
Dzifa Gomashie expressed commitment to working with the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology and allied agencies to promote ecotourism in the country.
“It will be great to work with the ministry of environment, science and technology and also allied agencies to see how best we can do this thing,” she stated.
Advocate for increased government investment in the sector
Gomashie emphasised the need for more government investment in the tourism sector to ensure it operates at its full potential.
“This is an area where the government needs to focus more attention. I will push the agenda for increased investments so that we can tap into the sector’s full potential,” she said.
Collaborate with MCEs to identify promotable areas
She highlighted the importance of engaging with Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs) to identify and promote unique areas within their regions.
“When I met with Julius Debrah, who met with the MCEs at GIMPA, I stressed the importance of them bringing forward areas that need to be promoted. I’ll be championing this effort,” Gomashie said.
Advocate for road improvements leading to tourist destinations
One of her key promises was to push for the improvement of roads leading to tourist destinations to boost accessibility and increase visitor numbers.
“I will be actively pushing for the fixing of roads leading to these sites, as improved infrastructure will encourage more visits, benefiting everyone involved. I’ll lobby hard for this, just as I did when I served as Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts,” she affirmed.
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