Mpreaso (E/R), Sept. 8, GNA - The Chiefs and people living in tourist attractions sites in the Eastern Region have expressed their commitment to support the government to develop and promote domestic tourism to in the country.

The chiefs said so long as those tourist sites have been identified and recognised as key to our national tourism boost that would help create wealth and reduce poverty in their communities, they would ensure that the full benefit were attained.

These sentiments were expressed by the chiefs when Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, paid a three-day working visit to tourist sites in the Eastern Region, from last Wednesday to Friday.

The Chiefs' readiness to help tap the tourism potentials in the areas reflected and ran through their desire and willingness to narrate the historical background of those attractions to the Minister. They repeatedly pledged their unflinching support and said they were ever ready any day for the attractions to be developed for the benefit of all.

Daasebre Dr Oti Boateng, President of the New Juaben Traditional Council, was of the view that if internal tourism were given the seriousness it deserved, it would help avert most of the chieftaincy problems since it would help to bring about development in those areas. He said "we must as a nation know that our uniqueness and strength lie in our identity, culture and traditional values, which if we indeed wanted to develop and promote, the tourism sector will rank number one on the nation's development agenda.

Osaberema Aseidu Okoo III, Paramount Chief of Larteh, was full of praise for the Minister for the move to sell the idea of tourism to the grassroots people, saying; "it clearly shows that the government's vision of attracting one million tourists and earning 1.5 billion dollars could be achieved".

"The Larteh Chief and people are ready to assist the government's efforts to the development of the attraction because we know the importance of the sector and what it could bring to our community", he said.

Nana Otupesi, Mamponghene, said because the Tetteh Quashie cocoa farm was not developed into a tourist attraction, many especially foreign tourists visited the farm without paying any fee. A common strand in the Chiefs' sentiments was the need for access roads to be constructed to the tourist sites.