Accra, Aug. 11, GNA - The Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey at the weekend visited Xavi in the Akatsi District of the Volta Region, which is a bird sanctuary and home of a mysterious baobab tree.

A statement issued in Accra on Monday by the Ministry said the chiefs and people of the town held a durbar in honour of the Minister, who is on a familiarisation visit to the Volta Region.

The statement said the Chief of the town Togbi Avoka IV told the Minister that it was the first time a Minister of State had ever visited the town, which is a tourist attraction.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the visit confirmed to him that Ghana was a "bird watcher's paradise", adding that his visit to other parts of the country had exposed him to the enormous potential of tourism in Ghana. He referred to the huge benefits to be reaped from tourism and said this was the basis of its elevation by President John Agyekum Kufuor as one of the three key areas to provide the impetus to Ghana's economic growth.

He advised communities with tourist attractions to jealously guard, nurture and promote them into major attractions to become major generators of wealth for themselves and the nation. 11 Aug. 03