Accra, July 16, GNA - Mrs. Oboshie Sai Cofie, Minister for Tourism and Diasporan Relations, has urged various heads under the Ministry and Tourism related agencies to accelerate work on projects to ensure that targets are met this year.

This is in line with her vision to make tourism one of the major revenue and foreign exchange earners in Ghana, a statement issued by the Ministry said on Wednesday.

The statement said Mrs Sai Cofie made this call when she addressed heads of departments and related agencies under her ministry during a Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations Mid-Year Performance Review Seminar held at the Forest Hotel at Dodowa. She assured the industry of government's unflinching support to push tourism in Ghana forward and to mobilize financial resources and other logistics to facilitate its work.

The Minister explained that the need for developing countries such as Ghana to explore avenues to diversify the economy, create wealth and reduce poverty within communities had become more critical with the present global challenges.

"Fortunately, for Ghana, the huge tourism potential in terms of our existing cultural, historical and natural attractions coupled with political stability, peace and tranquillity and the emerging good image for the country, our celebrated Ghanaian hospitality and steady improvements of our infrastructure, provide us with a good basis and justification to harness and optimize the use of our resources for development."

Mrs. Sai-Cofie challenged directors and various agency heads under the ministry to work assiduously and accelerate progress on existing projects to ensure that the ministry's importance in contributing to the overall economic growth of the country was fully realized. "You would agree with me that global challenges triggered by surging fuel and food prices have placed much pressure on many countries and Ghana is no exception.

"I have no doubts that if we position ourselves well through our programmes and projects, then we can reap a fair share of the lucrative global tourist trade in terms of foreign earnings and other economic benefits such as employment for our youth and women". Other benefits Mrs. Sai Cofie spoke of include increased revenue for central government, local government institutions, agencies and the communities, while at the same time using tourism as an effective tool for conservation of our environment and local cultures. To achieve the stated goals the Minister called on all players in the sector to find "creative ways of doing things and doing them faster".

She noted that although the ministry was challenged by inadequate financial resources among other setbacks, work during the first part of the year had been satisfactory but could be improved on tremendously. She commended the directors and heads of the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations and its agencies for their cooperation, support and work.

The 2008 Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relation Mid-Year Performance Review provided the opportunity for the country's tourism administration front-liners to take stock of how they had fared in implementing policies and programmes and plans ahead. It was also to review planned strategies and possibly re-strategize towards achieving desired goals.