The President of the Ghana India Trade Advisory Chamber (GITAC), Mr Dominic Oduro-Antwi, has urged the media to intensify promotion of the Ghanaian culture and heritage for socio-economic development.
According to him, the media had 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.
MrOduro-Antwi disclosed this in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday on the sidelines of the celebration of the Ghana Month.
He said, though the media recently was doing well in the promotion of the Ghanaian culture, itshould not only be limited to the Ghana Month.
He said tourism, was one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, therefore consistent media projections would increase both domestic and international arrivals.
"Ghana has a rich culture and so must be projected to the outside world anytime, every time and not wait until a particular event before we showcase our culture or begin to portray what the country has. It must be a continuous event to draw more tourists into the country," he added.
MrOduro-Antwi, also the President of the Global Africa Trade Advisory Chamber (GATAC), said the importance of dedicating more coverage to cultural activities and traditional ceremonies, such as festivals, religious ceremonies and cultural performances through live coverage, documentary, and editorial features were crucial to boosting the tourism receipts.
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"The relationship between tourism and the media is vital because it is highly dependent on the media due to first time travellers who mostly take decisions based on what is reported out there.
"Gone were the days when people travel for adventure without any knowledge about the destinations, but due to technology, travelling has now become much easier and people now wants to explore to know more about the places they are visiting," he stated.
MrOduro-Antwi entreated media organisations to prioritise the promotion of the Ghanaian culture and put in place policies that give priority to culture and tourism to help preserve and promote traditions for future generations.
He also implored the government to support the media to boost and promote tourism culture, which was now a huge part of the local economy.
