Accra, May 20, GNA - Over 100 stakeholders in the tourism industry in West Africa, on Tuesday converged in Accra, to attend the Second Africa Regional Seminar on Tourism and Handicrafts, which aims at enhancing the two key sectors to contribute towards the reduction of poverty and economic development on the Continent.

The two-day seminar being organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), would expose the participants to three sessions on "Tourism and Handicrafts in Africa, " Boosting and Organising the Marketing and Distribution of Handicrafts through Tourism" and " Skill Development in Handicraft Enterprise through Talent Promotion, Product Design, Quality Control and Labelling."

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama expressed satisfaction that the seminar is taking place at the time when global issues, including soaring fuel and food prices are threatening the economic survival of many countries especially in Africa.

"This trend of affairs would lead to worsening balance of payments, trade deficits, famine and unemployment in most developing countries, and therefore calls for a concerted effort to put in place appropriate measures to address these challenges."

Vice President Mahama noted that handicrafts are an integral part of any tourist experience, especially for international tourists, stressing: "A good quality handicraft taken home from an enjoyable holiday has the continuing power to evoke wonderful memories of the country visited and can also beckon others who see that handicraft to visit that particular destination."

He said Ghana's success in attracting high spending and middle income tourists could guarantee patronage of the country's rich and diverse natural historical and cultural heritage. Vice President Mahama tasked the participants to ensure that the synergy between handicrafts and tourism is developed to the optimum in order to derive the desired benefits. The second Regional Seminar is a follow-up to a similar event organised in Burkina Faso in 2006 in the context of Arts and Crafts Fair of Ouagadougou.

Mr Ousmane Ndiaye, Regional Representative of UNWTO lauded Ghana for becoming a leading tourism destination in Africa, stressing that the country has consolidated its position as the third most visited country in West Africa with close to 500,000 tourists a year. He said the evolution of the tourism sector has been characterised by sustained growth over the last four years, after a near-stagnation, which spanned 2001 to 2003 as a result of conflicts and terrorism. Mr Ndiaye said conservative estimates forecast 1.1 billion tourism arrivals in 2010 and 1.6 billion in 2020 and emphasised: "We are well on the way to doubling of the size of the market in terms of physical flows within the span of one generation." Mrs Oboshie Sai-Cofie, Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations reiterated the need for the Tourism and the Handicraft sectors to collaborate in policy and programmes formulation to enhance the overgrowing foreign exchange earnings from non-traditional exports "We believe there should be a conscientious effort by both sectors to influence the policies of other," she said. Mrs. Sai-Cofie called on producers and makers of handicrafts to be more creative and pay attention to packaging and finishing details, adding, "we should understand that we are competing with other regions in the world."