The Minister Designate for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie has called on District and Municipal Assemblies to take the lead in investing in tourist attractions within their jurisdictions.
Speaking during her vetting, she emphasised that while the ministry is tasked with providing policy direction and support, the assemblies possess firsthand knowledge of the specific needs of the sites and should prioritise their development.
According to the MP for Ketu South, the assemblies should not solely rely on the ministry to initiate projects but instead take proactive steps to attract investments and improve their local attractions.
“As I indicated in my earlier comment, the Black Star experience is the way to go, which is seeking to encourage districts, municipal assemblies, and what have you, to themselves invest in their own regions as far as their tourism is concerned. The ministry, being a policymaking one, has many agencies under it that will assist them,” she said.
The Nominee also pledged to pay special attention to prominent tourist sites like Mole National Park in the Savannah Region, a location that continues to attract visitors but requires additional investments to reach its full potential.
“I agree with you that Mole, for years, has been on the list of sites that are usually visited by visitors. What they probably need is more investment, and it’s an area where our country needs to focus more on, to give more to the sector so we can bring in the required resources,” she noted.
The minister designate highlighted the “Black Star Experience” initiative, which aims to empower district, municipal, and metropolitan assemblies to embark on arts, tourism, and cultural projects.
She believes this model will enable local authorities to identify and champion initiatives that align with their regional strengths and priorities.
“I’ll be pushing the agenda for that and hope that the municipal assemblies, as I indicated, when the MCs are nominated and they pass, to engage them. I started that with Hon. Julius Debra when he was Minister for Local Government. I sought his permission to meet with the MCs when he met them at GIMPA to let them know that it’s important for them to, themselves, bring to the ministry what they want us to help them to promote, and so I’ll be championing that again,” she added.
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