Accra, Aug. 7, GNA - Mr Jake Obetsebi- Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, on Thursday said the Ministry was putting in place a plan that would attract at least a million tourist by 2007, three years earlier than the previous target date.

He said in line with this the Ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of Roads and Transport to liberalise the airways, which would generate competition among airlines and bring down prices considerably. "The operation of charter flights that will ensure increase in tourist arrivals is being encouraged," he said.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Edwin Owusu-Mensah, Acting Deputy Executive Director Ghana Tourist Board, at the launch of Transtel Ghana Expo, 2003.

The event scheduled for the last quarter of the year is to focus attention on tourism facilities and services in the Ghanaian market and to create awareness of the different products, their standards and the state of the art equipment in the industry.
It is under the theme: "Networking to Present Ghana as a Unique Tourism and Investment Destination."
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the event would create competitiveness, which would generate quality service that was so vital to the promotion and development of the tourism industry.
Tourism development in the country, though young, has come a long way, with the influx of businesses such as hotels, catering facilities, fast food joints, nightclubs and ancillary services, he said. "The tourism industry is the fastest growing with a growth rate of about 12.5 per cent from local and foreign investors."
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said though Ghana had great potential to develop its tourism industry, standards and services were below the expectation of visitors.
He said it was for this reason that Transtel Ghana Expo, 2003 was being organised to bring operators of facilities and services under one roof, to set the stage for comparison, competitiveness and the sharpening of skills and business relations that would eventually enhance the service and achieve the objective of tourism.
Ms Josephine Boateng-Sarpong, a Representative of the Organisers, Top Image Consult and Royal Protocol Management, said Ghana was developing, building and refurbishing hotels at an unprecedented rate hence the need to bring all stakeholders together for collaboration.
Nana Twinim, President of the Hotels Association, called on government to support the private sector in its bid to be the engine of growth saying, "every engine needs oil to be able to function satisfactory."