Tourism potential being realised – Akufo-Addo

Ghanaian

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his State of the Nation address delivered on February 27, 2024, touched upon various significant campaign promises, notably focusing on the creative arts industry.

The President highlighted the burgeoning potential of the country's tourism sector, stating, "The tourism industry has developed into a popular travel destination, with an annual increase in visitor

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President Akufo-Addo emphasized the government's commitment to enhancing tourism infrastructure, citing the comprehensive renovation and modernization of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, a project initiated for the first time since its establishment in 1992. Since its reopening in July last year, both domestic and foreign visitors have shown a significant uptick in numbers, with 208,557 people visiting the park between July 14 and December 31, 2023.

He also underscored ongoing efforts to revamp other tourist amenities, noting the proactive involvement of the business sector in creating attractive tourism destinations. Notably, the National Museum Gallery, shuttered since 2015, underwent a complete renovation, attracting over 35,000 visitors in 2023, a substantial portion of whom were schoolchildren.

Highlighting cultural preservation, the President mentioned the upcoming construction of the Kente Museum in Bonwire, Ashanti Region, by the Second Lady, aimed at conserving Ghana's rich cultural heritage.

President Akufo-Addo further unveiled plans for the Heroes Park, a museum honoring Ghana's founding fathers, including JB Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer AkoAdjei, William Ofori-Atta, and Kwame Nkrumah. The preparatory work and designs were completed in December 2023, signaling progress towards its realization.

In advancing Ghana's cinematic landscape, the President affirmed the government's commitment to supporting top-tier movie production. He revealed that Cabinet is currently devising a favorable fiscal regime for movie projects, anticipated to be unveiled soon, aimed at solidifying Ghana as a premier location for film production, both nationally and across the continent.