‘People still do not know much about Africa,' says Ghanaian official
by Nevdil Şahin
ISTANBULFeb 05, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Nevdil Şahin
Feb 05, 2016 12:00 am
As one of the high-income countries in Africa, Ghana has much interest in the World Tourism Forum (WTF). Having also spoken in December 2015 at the WTF Mediterranean Meeting in Antalya, Olivia Opoku Adomah, a top official from the Ghanaian Ministry of Tourism, said Ghana and many other African countries still remain undiscovered. Speaking to Daily Sabah, she stressed they are willing to attract more tourists and investors, adding this will result in benefiting all parties.
Daily Sabah: The African market is one of the main topics of the forum. What are your expectations from the WTF in terms of its possible benefits for Africa?
Olivia Opoku Adomah: Africa has a potential it has yet to fully realize. This forum will hopefully open a way toward encouraging more tourists to visit Africa. It will also result in the establishment of many businesses. So, an increase in tourism will also contribute to the formation of new trade ties. That is, we want many more people to come and see Africa. They will witness very beautiful cities and encounter a lot of hospitable people.
DS: Africa is still defined as an undiscovered land by many authorities, do you agree?
OOA: Exactly! People still do not know much about Africa. Therefore, they do not actually have an idea about what exactly is going on in Africa. As more people visit Africa, they will have the chance to discover the real Africa.
DS: You also previously attended the WTF's Mediterranean Meeting held in Antalya. Although little time has passed, as a ministerial representative, have you observed any increase in people's interest in Africa?
OOA: Yes, last December I attended the meeting in Antalya. I can say people's interest has increased in such a short time. For example, we had some people who visited our ministry to learn more about the legal procedures to establish a business in Ghana. I would like to say that Turks in particular will benefit a lot from starting businesses in Ghana. This will result in mutual benefits considering Africa is a good market with its high growth potential.
DS: Is your ministry engaged in other initiatives that seek to promote tourism in Africa?
OOA: Actually, we attend as many events in Europe as possible in order to help people see the huge potential of our country. For instance, last month we participated in ITB Berlin, a travel trade show. Recently, we also went to London and Moscow to promote tourism and draw more people's attention into Ghana.
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