Kumasi — The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, (MOTAC) has organised a tourism-oriented training programme for some selected taxi drivers in the Kumasi metropolis.

With support from the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) and the Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP), the day's training was designed to transfer critical information about tourism to the drivers amongst others.

It addressed the low level of appreciation of the key role drivers' play in the tourism eco-system.

It also used to discuss concerns by tourists about the lack of customers' service in the delivery of services by some transport operators in the country.

About 100 taxi drivers drawn from various Taxi Unions such as Abuakwa, Ayigya, and KNUST attended the training programme.

Deputy Minister of the MOTAC, Mr Mark Okraku Mantey, addressing the meeting claimed that there had been incidents where taxi drivers had unfortunately been unfairly portraying the country in a negative light.

According to the Deputy Minister, the government was poised to promote tourism in the country and that taxi drivers were key stakeholders, hence training them was vital.

"... So let us make the best out of it, every individual in the value chain needs to be aligned with the President's vision to make tourism the number one contributor to the country's gross domestic product," he emphasised.

He told them of the importance of tourism as an important source of national income and job creation.

About 3,000 taxi drivers, he said would undergo the special training programme dubbed, "Tourism Product Knowledge Training for Transport Service Providers."

The Chief Executive Officer of the GTDC, Mr Kwadwo Antwi, thanked the drivers for their enthusiasm to make the programme a success.

Mr Kwadwo Asante, Chairman of the Hiatopre Drivers Union, was full of praise for the MOTAC for the training.

He said "since I started driving taxi in 1980, I have not attended such a training programme, this is the first time and I thank the government."

Each of them took home tourism branded T-shirts, certificate and driver's tourism brochure.