People now thinking positively about Volta Region - GTA official

Alexander Nketia, Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has noted a change in perception about the Volta Region following the inception of the “Visit Volta” Campaign.

The Tourism Authority and the Regional Coordinating Council had crafted the Campaign to divert tourist traffic into a Region being noted for its microcosmic acclaim.

Mr. Nketia was addressing a breakfast meeting with the Angolan Ambassador to Ghana, who was in the Region to help foster bilateral relations in trade.

He said the campaign helped defuse negative views that had kept the Region far apart from the rest of the nation.

“Now that we are marketing, the visibility is becoming a lot better.
People are thinking positively about the Region now.

“It used to be more of ‘juju juju’ thinking, so if you talk about Volta Region, people are scared but now people are getting positive vibes and it’s all as a result of the ‘Visit Volta’ Campaign that we are doing”, the Director said.

The Visit Volta campaign also affects the promotion of the upcoming Volta Trade and Invest Fair, and had drawn support from the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in the region, which had committed to evolving the private investment landscape.

The campaign is being carried by prominent media personalities from the Region, and the Tourism Authority reports an increase in visitor numbers as a result.

Mr. Nketia, however, said tourism structures in the Region remained underdeveloped, and was an area investors should consider.

He mentioned that upmarket hotels and accommodations, and also hospitality training institutions, and recreational facilities would be required to bring the region up to standard for both local and international tourists.

He also said roads and service delivery had to be improved, and called on stakeholders to reconsider the “multiplicity of taxes”, and high-power costs to aid growth of the industry.