Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu Adjare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has called for a paradigm shift in the creative arts industry to enhance performance and development.

She said cultural diversity was a potential for growth in terms of job and wealth creation, research for enhancement and documentation.

The minister said this in an address read for her by Mr. Daniel Syme, Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, at a regional arts and culture festival in Bolgatanga.

She said years when players in the industry were referred to as school drop-outs were over and, therefore, the need to increase efforts to make the sector competitive.

With the theme; “Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, a Platform for National Development,” the event formed part of a prelude to the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC) to be held in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Mrs. Adjare said festivals provided the industry players a sense of belonging, common identity and destiny that transcended ethnic loyalties and identities and that the occasion was a platform for people in the region to showcase their traditions and attract investors.

She acknowledged the fast growing potential of the Upper East Region in terms of smocks, leather works, attraction sites and crafts and called for its positioning to take advantage of the sector’s growth by making the development of tourism a priority.