The Ministry of Tourism is to introduce a policy next year to promote domestic tourism so that the industry could count on its local clients for support in time of international crisis.

Nana Akomeah, Deputy Minister for Tourism announced this at the opening of the Annual General Conference of the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) at Koforidua on Saturday.

400 delegates are attending the conference, which would elect a new national executive.

He said his Ministry would vigorously enforce the regular inspection of tourism facilities to ensure that standards are maintained.

Nana Akomeah called on members of the GHA to add local dishes on their menu chats and to include local television channels on the televisions in their facilities so that Ghanaians who patronise their facilities could watch their favourite programmes while foreigners learn more about Ghana.

He said the government is to undertake a massive marketing of tourism potentials in the country in Europe and North America to help increase the 400,000 tourists recorded to have visited the country last year.

Nana Akomeah said his Ministry is also working on the establishment of a web site to boost the marketing strategy.

He said his Ministry would also facilitate the procurement of financial support for people in the tourism sector and gave the assurance that the annual three million dollars USAID facility for the development of the tourism sector would be well utilised.

Nana Akomeah assured the delegates that the Ministry is also examining the law and regulations on the establishment of tourism facilities in the country with the view of ensuring that the operators were not unduly over burdened.

In a speech read for him, the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr. Francis Osafo-Mensah called on the members of GHA to maintain high environmental standards in their facilities.

Earlier in her welcoming address, Nana Ama Seiwaa, Krontihemaa of Duyawkwanta and the outgoing National President of GHA called on the Ministry of Tourism to reconsider the multiplicity of fees paid by hoteliers, which in the end erode all their profits.

She also called for the establishment of a tourism institute that would meet the training needs of the various sectors of the industry.

Osaberima Darkwa Woe II, Kwabenghene, who chaired the function urged hoteliers to co-operate with the police and other security agencies in arresting people who use their facilities to engage in criminal activities.