Eminent Ghanaian economist and researcher Dr. Joseph Abbey has marked down Ghana’s tourism sector, stating strongly that the country cannot lay claim to any meaningful spot as a hotbed or major tourist attraction.

Despite the fact that tourism remains the country’s third foreign exchange earner, Dr, Joe Abbey says compared to many other African destinations especially those in the Eastern belt, Ghana’s tourism sector is not mature enough to be considered a potent force in Africa.

He mentioned countries like Kenya and Botswana which he says are way ahead of Ghana.

Dr. Abbey who is the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) was speaking at the Ghana Speaks Lecture series put together by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) with support from JoyFM.

Statistics from Robinson & USAID indicates that Ghana rakes in about $400million in tourism revenue annually making it the third foreign exchange earner after gold and cocoa.

With an estimated 450,000 visitors recorded annually, many have said that the country is indeed a huge source of attraction to tourists from all over the world.

Ghana can boast of beaches (not all of them fine beaches), historical slave dungeons in Elmina and Cape Coast, the Kakum National Park among others. Also available are the Mole National Park, butterfly and monkey sanctuaries and an increasing number of hotels.

Speaking to journalists after the Ghana Speaks Lecture however, Dr. Abbey who chaired the session said tourism revenues generated by Kenya alone far exceeds what Ghana makes annually.

“They take the sector serious and have therefore marshalled the needed resources to make sure they get the benefits,” he said.

The tourism sector, Dr. Abbey said, is not being provided with the needed tools to grow and this is affecting the expected returns achieved annually.

This year’s lecture said to be the last for the year was on the theme ‘Ghana@50: Observing African Excellence as a prelude to African Renaissance’ and was addressed by the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, J.H. Mensah.

Dr. Abbey says Ghana cannot claim to be achieving excellence in the area of development when adequate attention has not been paid to a service sector that has the potential of contributing millions of dollars to the country.

“Kenya and others have devoted huge resources to the tourism sector because that is where a chunk of revenue is raked,” Dr. Abbey said with lots of seriousness in his eyes.

He noted that Ghana cannot continue to be priding itself as a centre of attraction especially when most roads leading to major tourism sites in the country are still in bad shape.

“Ghana is not there yet and we should be on our feet working,” he added.

Other contributors earlier raised similar concerns about the country’s seriousness in becoming a tourism hub in Africa. Some wondered whether the country is really serious about improving the tourism sector when the roads leading to those areas are in bed shape.

Gideon Arthur was one of the participants. He wondered whether officials in the country really check the shoddy works that are done be contractors on the country’s roads.

“You visit some tourists’ sites and sometimes you wonder if we are really serious in this country, he told dailyEXPRESS.