Elmina May 14, GNA - The Central Region Minister designate, Nana Ato Arthur, on Saturday urged practitioners in the tourism industry to take advantage of the new tourism law and tax relief to enhance the growth and development of the industry.

He explained that the new law gives 100 percent customs duty-free as well as Value Added Tax to practitioners for items purchased for use at tourism related establishments and urged them not to allow this opportunity to slip by.

Nana Arthur, who made the call at the 7th Central Regional Tourism Awards Night at the Elmina Beach Resort stressed that with the new law and new tourism ministry, it behoved on all to ensure that the industry thrived in the region, which is endowed with a lot of tourism potentials.

In all 15 institutions and individuals were presented with awards, with the Elmina Beach Resort for the second time running, winning the 2-3 star hotel while Lagoon Lodge at Winneba won the 1-star hotel. Afrafynn Guest Lodge won the new comer of the year, with Windy Bay Guest House at Winneba winning, guest house of the year, while Paradise Chop Bar at Kasoa and "Hello-Hello" at Winneba won the chop bar and drinking bar of the year respectively.

The restaurant of the year grade 2 and 3 went to the Hut d'Eric in Winneba and Ocean Style restaurant at Brenu-Akyinim.

The Kakum National Park in Cape Coast and Greenland Hotel at Agona Swedru won the visitor attraction of the year and best landscaping establishment respectively, while Mr Kingsley Yeboah of Cape Coast Castle won the site attraction guide of the year. They were each presented with certificates, plaques, and products of Ghana Brewery.

Nana Arthur said tourism had now become a global vehicle for development and more people were getting involved in its development, promotion and management, adding that with effective and efficient planning and management tourism could be a positive force to reckon with in the nation's development.

He said the government was committed to make the tourism industry grow and had put in place a number of facilities including visitor receptive facilities all over the country with the Central Region getting three of such facilities at Assin-Manso, Assin-Praso and Abrafo.

Mr Owusu Mensah, Deputy Executive Director of the Ghana Tourist Board (GTB), also underscored the important role tourism could play in the development of the nation and called on all stakeholders to join in its development since government alone could not do it.

He mentioned, craft shops, tour guides, tour information and transportation as some of the areas that should further be developed to enhance the tourism industry to meet it global challenges. Mr Owusu Mensah commended the awards winners and urged them not to rest on their oars but work harder to enable them to win international awards in future.

The Central Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mr Paul Owusu Nkansah, expressed concern that the Region was described as the heart beat of the country's tourism industry, but it lagged behind in the development of most of the tourist sites especially the beaches. He also expressed concern about the way people loitered about and tugged after tourists who visit tourist sites for money and favours and call for a lasting solution to the problem and also urged persons in the tourism industry but had not yet registered with the board to do so. Mr Victor Mac-carthy, Acting Manager of the Elmina Beach Resort, on behalf of the awards winners thanked the awards committee and pledged that they would work header to enable them win international awards in future. May 14 06