The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Friday called for a massive education on tourism as a cross-cultural activity to enable Ghanaians to appreciate each other's cultural values and tourist attractions. He noted that the majority of the people were yet to consider tourism as a tool for national development.

Baffour Osei Hyeamann Brantuo VI, the Asantehene's Manwerehene, was speaking on behalf of Otumfuo Osei Tutu at the first anniversary celebration of the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) in Accra. He urged other stakeholders in tourism to assist TOUGHA in creating and sustaining tourism awareness among Ghanaians.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu said tourism plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country and asked individuals and organisations to co-operate with government in developing the sector.

He said the culture and traditions of the people, which revolved around chieftaincy, could be developed to make Ghana the best tourist destination in Africa. Nana Prempeh Annin-Bonsu, President of TOUGHA, said the event had afforded the union the opportunity to establish benchmarks that could assist in facilitating its work.

Mr E.V. Hagan, a Director at the Ministry of Tourism, urged the Union to travel extensively in the country to enable it to identify attractions that could be developed to boost the tourism industry. Mr Osei Bonsu, Deputy Director, in charge of Finance and Administration of the Ghana Tourist Board, appealed to TOUGHA to work assiduously to achieve its objectives.