Accra, June 27, GNA - The Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City is to embark on an aggressive programme to promote Ghanaian cuisine and music worldwide. To this end, the Ministry would collaborate with the private sector to ensure that Ghanaian dishes and music became the permanent feature at State functions and events for foreign dignitaries.

Addressing a delegation of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) on its return from a familiarisation tour of Morocco, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the Sector Minister, deplored the current spate of continental and foreign dishes featuring more in hotels, restaurants and foreign songs played at functions at the expense of local dishes and songs.

A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Ferdinand Ayim, Special Assistant to the Minister, said: "Local dishes are rich and sumptuous and empirical evidence clearly shows that whenever and wherever they are served, they are eaten before the foreign and continental dishes". He said the sector would provide foreigners with 'highlife' music, which was original and indigenous to Ghana and was in high demand. He said that music and cuisine were integral part of Ghana's culture and the Ministry would aggressively promote them to the international community. He said, "not only will it promote tourism, but will also create jobs and wealth for Ghanaians".

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey reiterated the Ministry's commitment to ensuring professionalism and the promotion of very high standards in the tourism industry. He, therefore, urged hotels and restaurants to subject their employees to constant training to enhance the quality of their services. He said: "The government is committed to making tourism a central pillar of socio-economic growth." To this end, he said, the President would chair the Inter-Ministerial Council on Tourism to address bottlenecks and to harmonise systems that promoted tourism in Ghana.

Presenting his report on the trip, Mr Foster Nyarko of GHATOF stressed the need for more investment in tourism, which he said, had all the potential to make Ghana great and rich. He praised the high standards of tourism in Morocco and said that for Ghana to learn from the Kingdom's rich experience, personnel from 50 companies would soon go there for attachment to various tourism establishments.