Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts Catherine Afeku has said plans are far advanced for the establishment of a cocoa factory to honour Tetteh Quarshie for bringing cocoa to Ghana.

Speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ series in Accra on Monday, the minister said the establishment of a museum also forms part of the government’s efforts to encourage local consumption of cocoa.

She further said the museum will also attract tourists to explore the numerous cocoa products produced locally.

“The project is a public-private sector initiative, and it will take tourists through the processing of cocoa into a variety of products,” she said

According to Catherine Afeku, the museum will bring to life a typical cocoa farmhouse and an exhibition centre that will showcase the history, tools and the background of cocoa farming in Ghana as well as a boutique for the retail of cocoa products.

The Tourism and Creative Arts Minister said architectural drawings and feasibility reports are ready, and the sod-cutting for construction works on the museum will take place on National Chocolate Day, which falls on the 14th of February, 2018.

She appealed to cocoa processing companies to come on board with investment and their technical support to ensure the efficient operation of the museum.

Still focusing on promoting tourism, the Minister said there are plans to also put up ‘Akwaaba Hotels’ to provide affordable accommodation to tourists who throng the country.

“We realized through our study that hotels, unfortunately, were too expensive, so we have come up with the ‘Akwaaba Hotel’ to provide affordable accommodation for people who patronize our country’s tourist attraction,” she said.

She emphasized the need to have an indigenous chain to accommodate tourists in order not to deter them from coming into the country.

“We already have private investors who are studying various locations. The mission is to promote domestic tourism and encourage tourists who come into the country.”