Accra, Dec. 10, GNA-Mrs. Efua Goode-Arthur, Director of EKGS Culinary Institute in Accra at the weekend urged operators of the Airline Industry to endeavour to reduce air fares in order to attract many tourists into the country.

Making the call at the weekend at the 18th Graduation ceremony organised for 120 trainees of the institute after pursuing a six-month training in the culinary arts, Mrs Goode-Arthur regretted that one of the challenges facing the hospitality industry was the relatively high air fares.

The occasion which saw the presentation of certificates to the graduands, had "Fifty Years of Independence-The Way Forward for the Strategic Development of the Hospitality Industry" as its theme. She said "since most tourists were middle-level income earners who saved towards their holidays elsewhere, they would naturally be attracted to other places where air fares may be lower, if they found the cost of transport to our shores expensive and higher." The Director said even though government could not legislate on the air fares, it could waive some of the taxes paid by the airlines, in order to induce them to reduce air fares to and from the country. Mrs Goode-Arthur noted with satisfaction that the seven-year development plan of the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations was made possible by the fact that the Hospitality Industry was firmly on the ground to give impetus and direction to the plan.

She congratulated the graduands for having gone through the training with determination and perseverance, and urged them to endeavour to be good ambassadors of the institute. Madam Fati Dakubu, Director of Hotel Catering and Tourism Training Institute, urged operators of the hospitality industry to pay much attention to training, since, in her view, the industry could not develop without training programmes for members.

Madam Dakubu reminded the graduands that with renewed hope, they could promote the strategic development of the hospitality industry. Miss Hertty De-Heer, was adjudged the over-all best student.