Accra, May 3, GNA- Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Wednesday urged delegates of the 31'st Annual Congress of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) in Accra to strive to make tourism on the Continent a viable industry.

He said although the hope of Africa was to make tourism a significant feature of economic and social development, the important question was how to harness fully the benefits of tourism so that the conditions of life of Africans would be improved.

Vice President Mahama was addressing a dinner to climax a five-day congress of the US- based ATA, which is an international travel industry association for Africa, established in 1957 to promote tourism in Africa.

It has membership from African governments' tourism organizations, international airlines, hotels and tour operators. It also holds annual congresses and trade shows at selected African destinations and the US to provide first-hand information to enable members to share personal experience.

Vice President Mahama said the growth of tourism was on an international scale with it serious problems particularly related to its impact on the people living in tourists destinations. He noted that: " Tourism development activities are also degrading or depleting the resources of destinations. The challenge then is to ensure that the growth of the industry accommodate a sustainable framework."

Vice President Mahama exhorted the ATA to take up the issues of socio-economic and environmental factors at future meetings. The First Vice President of ATA, Dr Henderson Balley expressed the need to need to develop the cultural heritage of Africa to attract tourists.

The Vice President and delegates at thec function took to dancing floor to dance to highlife and other tunes provided by the local dane band- Western Diamond.