The Ghana India Trade Advisory Chamber (GITAC) has called for increased media support for the country’s tourism sector.
The Chamber’s President, Dominic Oduro Antwi, said the media has the responsibility to educate the global community about the Ghanaian culture and the various tourist sites in order to increase visitor numbers and rake in foreign exchange.
“The media has a crucial role to play in putting tourist destinations in Ghana and Africa on the global map through positive projections about the country to help boost the tourism industry,” he said.
He added that the relationship between GITAC and the media was vital and complex since tourism depends highly on media reportage and projections. He added that positive media projections are important because most travel decisions are made by people who had never seen or been to the destination first-hand.
Mr. Oduro Antwi, who is also the President of the Global Africa Trade Advisory Chamber (GATAC), explained that tourism was one of the biggest industries in the country, and appealed to the media to support its growth.
He said the media is a crucial partner in the tourism value chain, noting that consistent media projections would increase both national and international awareness about destinations, and influence tourists with the intention to visit the country.
“There was a time when people used to travel for adventure and explore new places with no previous idea of how the place is, but now due to technology, travelling is much more an activity of leisure; and people want to know all about the places they are going. The media, therefore, plays a key role in helping them to do so,” he added.
Mr. Oduro Antwi emphasised that the media has a very powerful impact on the life of the 21st century people, and urged the government to support the media to boost and promote tourism culture, which is now a huge part of the local economy.
