Ms Lawrencia Siaw, a Lecturer of Culture and Tourism, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has emphasised the need for the nation to give priority to tourism research and development.

This, he said, would help to generate new ideas to engender acceptable working practices to improve the tourism value chain.

Ms Siaw was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a tour of the Rattray Park in Kumasi, as part of activities to mark the World Tourism Day.

The programme, put together by the Ashanti Regional Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), had in attendance tour guides and car rental and hotel operators.

Ms Siaw said the tourism industry had huge potentials for the nation, "but we can only derive the maximum benefits with careful planning and the requisite investment portfolio".

The park, a fast growing tourist attraction site, is one of the well-decorated recreational centres in the West African sub-region.

This year's Day, marked on the theme; "One Billion Tourists; One Billion Opportunities," is aimed at creating awareness about the socio-economic potentials inherent in the tourism industry.

Ms Siaw said currently, more than 100,000 Ghanaians were employed directly and indirectly in the industry and that ought to be improved.

Mr Peter Achampong, acting Regional Manager of the GTA, advised players in the industry to uphold good working practices.

Nana Mathew Opoku Prempeh, an official of the GTA, urged tourist facility operators to register and be licensed by the GTA in order to legalise their operations.