Accra, June 19, GNA - A Tour Operator has observed that in a proactive manner, tourism could strengthen the National Economy, by enhancing measures to alleviate poverty in both the rural and urban environments.

Mr Ernest Edusei, Chairman of the Ghana Tourism Society (GTS), in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said, as one of the key areas in domestic production, there was the need to support the growth and development of the sector.

He appealed to financial institutions to support the industry to enable it to play its proper role, adding that, "properly managed, the extension of credit shall enhance the growth of tourism, by taking pressure off the 'pay as you go' quagmire currently faced by small tourism operators in Ghana".

The GTS Chairman noted that tourism facilities should be considered as infrastructure investment in both rural and urban areas, adding that, "these investments create jobs nationwide".

Mr Edusei called for well packaged and managed tourism products, whose contributions, he said, would lead to the stabilization of wealth in the sector.

"By these actions, we will create more investments and sustainable employment in villages, towns and cities", Mr Edusei stressed.

He charged practitioners in "the tourism trade" to use their "lobbying powers" to support the Ministry of Tourism and its agencies, to ensure better annual budgetary allocation, to enable Ghana to become a major tourist destination on the African continent.