Ghana to promote soccer as a tourism product

An initiative to market football in Ghana as a tourism product is being promoted under a public-private sector partnership. Dubbed “Ghana ‘4’ Gold South Africa 2010”, the project is building on the soccer laurels of the Ghanaian national teams to sell the country’s investment and tourism potentials to the international community.

The project is being organized by Dream Africa Ghana Limited, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Council and the Ghana Investment Promotion Center.

Project coordinator, Kwabena Adjei believes Ghana is at the threshold to reap economically from the recent soccer feats by attracting tourists to the country. He tells Luv Fm the campaign will kick-start in April 2010 with the launch of a photo journal dubbed “Soccer in Ghana”. Mr. Adjei says “this book would be attached with a Ghana investors and tourists’ directorate, which would be marketed globally, especially in South Africa during the World Cup. We will make it widely available so that any tourist who comes there must take one home to know much about Ghana football”. Series of events, including seminars, mini trade fairs and musical concerts have being lined up to be held alongside the distribution of the book.

Mr. Adjei enjoined government and corporate Ghana to invest in the tourism sector in the same way as it is being done in the sports sector. “Government and corporate bodies are supporting the sports industry all the way and nothing holds them down. Why can’t they do the same thing for the tourism industry? Sometimes you look at the budget for the tourism industry and you wonder if the government is serious, so government needs to be up and doing.

“Tourism industry has a lot of potentials. If investors come, where would they put their money? Is it not the banks? So why are the banks not supporting the tourism industry?…you spend so much money to build a hotel but when you’re asked to support a tourism event, you shy away. So what will bring customers to your hotel?” Mr. Adjei asked.

The “Ghana ‘4’ Gold South Africa 2010” will be launched officially in Kumasi next month.