By Emmanuella Erica Bruce
Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie has called on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to identify and develop lesser-known tourist attractions in their communities to expand Ghana’s tourism potential.
She said local authorities must take advantage of available resources to identify unique cultural and natural attractions that could be developed into tourism products and promoted to both domestic and international visitors.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show, the Minister said the Ministry of Tourism was prepared to provide technical support to help communities package and promote their attractions once they had been identified.
“I need you to identify new things in your community, and then we who have the experts will help you package it and promote it,” she said.
She explained that the government had made 80 per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund available to MMDCEs, creating an opportunity for them to support local development initiatives, including tourism.
According to her, Ghana must move beyond relying heavily on established heritage destinations such as castles and forts and explore other cultural experiences capable of attracting visitors.
She identified festivals, fashion, music and other cultural activities as potential tourism products that could offer visitors a deeper experience of Ghanaian identity and heritage.
Mrs Gomashie also called for stronger collaboration among communities and local authorities to develop tourism packages linking attractions across different regions.
“I think that we can have a total cultural immersion if you package it properly. People will be attracted to it,” she added.
She noted that the absence of northern destinations from a reported list of Ghana’s most visited tourist sites highlighted the need for improved promotion and efforts to uncover attractions outside the country’s traditional tourism centres.
The Minister said she had been engaging regional ministers and local government authorities to encourage them to identify attractions within their jurisdictions, adding that she often travelled with media representatives to help bring lesser-known destinations to public attention.
On the creative arts sector, Mrs Gomashie said the industry was gradually receiving greater recognition in national development discussions, with a deliberate effort to direct resources and support towards its growth.
She said her experience as a creative practitioner had shaped her commitment to supporting emerging talents, particularly by giving young people opportunities to present their ideas and receive institutional attention.
“It’s not always about money. It’s about someone making you believe that you can and that you’re on the right path and that this is good for the country,” she said.
The Minister maintained that tourism, culture, and the creative arts had significant potential to contribute to Ghana’s economy if their products were properly developed and promoted.
