The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on Ghanaians to maximise Ghana's unique cultural heritage and enhance it to accelerate national development.

He said sustaining the rich Ghanaian culture from adulteration and extinction was essential to promote national integration and cohesion to create employment opportunities for the people.

Addressing a durbar of the Chiefs and people of Cape Coast to climax this year's Oguaa Fetu Afahye on Saturday, Dr Bawumia underlined the immense contribution of the sector to government revenue generation and expressed its determination to support it.

According to him, tourism being the fourth highest income earner for the country contributed three percent to the nation's output with a total direct and indirect contribution of about seven percent in 2016.

This translated into over 288,000 direct and 405,000 indirect jobs but in terms of contribution to national output, Ghana ranked 101 among a group of 185 countries and placed 49th in its contribution to employment.

On the nation's ability to attract tourism investors, Ghana ranked 13th indicating that the sector was not contributing to growth as much as expected.

The Vice President however assured that with renewed commitment and investment in the sector, in 2017, Ghana was ranked 67th compared to Kenya's 46th and Senegal's 14th on the sector's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He called for the support of all stakeholders to reposition the sector to create jobs, drive custom exports and generate local prosperity through the rich cultural heritage and ecotourism of the country.

Dr Bawumia reminded Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to prioritise the construction of modern places of convenience to drastically reduce the menace of widespread open defecation at the beaches to drive ecotourism, describing the practice as a dent on the nation's image on the global scene that should not be allowed to fester.

In addition to that he advised players in the hospitality industry to exhibit unrivalled customer service to their clients whilst the security agencies work to beef-up security for people to go about their normal duties without fear.

Touching on the economy, he reiterated that the Nana Akufo-Addo led-government was committed to adopting prudent economic management policies to stem any slippages that could threaten and derail the country’s macro-economic gains.

He affirmed that government would continue to maintain fiscal discipline and pursue prudent policies to help preserve and improve on its sustained economic successes and create jobs.

For his part, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area lauded government's move to ensure that every child of school going age was offered opportunity through the free education policy to reduce illiteracy and empower the citizens.

He called on government to step up consultation and engagement on the double track education system particularly with parents to reduce lingering uncertainties and apprehensions.

Osabarima Kwesi Atta condemned the indiscipline among the youth and increasing teenage pregnancies and urged parents to instil a sense of chastity in their children.The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on Ghanaians to maximise Ghana's unique cultural heritage and enhance it to accelerate national development.

He said sustaining the rich Ghanaian culture from adulteration and extinction was essential to promote national integration and cohesion to create employment opportunities for the people.

Addressing a durbar of the Chiefs and people of Cape Coast to climax this year's Oguaa Fetu Afahye on Saturday, Dr Bawumia underlined the immense contribution of the sector to government revenue generation and expressed its determination to support it.

According to him, tourism being the fourth highest income earner for the country contributed three percent to the nation's output with a total direct and indirect contribution of about seven percent in 2016.

This translated into over 288,000 direct and 405,000 indirect jobs but in terms of contribution to national output, Ghana ranked 101 among a group of 185 countries and placed 49th in its contribution to employment.

On the nation's ability to attract tourism investors, Ghana ranked 13th indicating that the sector was not contributing to growth as much as expected.

The Vice President however assured that with renewed commitment and investment in the sector, in 2017, Ghana was ranked 67th compared to Kenya's 46th and Senegal's 14th on the sector's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He called for the support of all stakeholders to reposition the sector to create jobs, drive custom exports and generate local prosperity through the rich cultural heritage and ecotourism of the country.

Dr Bawumia reminded Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to prioritise the construction of modern places of convenience to drastically reduce the menace of widespread open defecation at the beaches to drive ecotourism, describing the practice as a dent on the nation's image on the global scene that should not be allowed to fester.

In addition to that he advised players in the hospitality industry to exhibit unrivalled customer service to their clients whilst the security agencies work to beef-up security for people to go about their normal duties without fear.

Touching on the economy, he reiterated that the Nana Akufo-Addo led-government was committed to adopting prudent economic management policies to stem any slippages that could threaten and derail the country’s macro-economic gains.

He affirmed that government would continue to maintain fiscal discipline and pursue prudent policies to help preserve and improve on its sustained economic successes and create jobs.

For his part, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area lauded government's move to ensure that every child of school going age was offered opportunity through the free education policy to reduce illiteracy and empower the citizens.

He called on government to step up consultation and engagement on the double track education system particularly with parents to reduce lingering uncertainties and apprehensions.

Osabarima Kwesi Atta condemned the indiscipline among the youth and increasing teenage pregnancies and urged parents to instil a sense of chastity in their children.