Tema, March 14, GNA - The Ministry of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City is to attract over one million tourists into the country by the year 2007.

In addition, the Ministry will also contribute 1.5 million dollars to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employ more than 300,000 people in the hospitality industry, a deputy Minister of the sector, Alhaji Abubakar Sidique Boniface said at the weekend. Alhaji Boniface, who was speaking at the Greater Accra Regional Tourism awards night in Tema, said the tourism industry with its current contribution of 3.7 percent to the country's GDP and employing over 120,000 people, showed it had a strong potential to be the leading sector of the economy.

However, if Ghana wants to remain in the highly competitive industry it needs to maintain its standards, product quality, excellent facilities and services, he said.

He said the introduction of the ECOWAS Standards for the classification of hotels in the country was also another way of keeping Ghana and other ECOWAS member states in the tourism competition and expressed the hope that operators would assist in implementing these standards.

The deputy Minister reiterated the need for a favourable image to be projected of the region and its people to give the right signals and impressions in so as to attract more arrivals and receipts in support of government's objective of alleviating poverty.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheikh I.C Quaye, said the main objective of the Government was to increase tourist arrivals from 550,000 in 2003, to 650,000 by the end of 2004. This, he added, would increase foreign exchange receipts from 600 million dollars to 800 million dollars.

He said Government was doing its part by creating the enabling environment and has developed appropriate policies to facilitate the development of the tourism sector.

It is necessary that we ensure a clean environment at all times and extend courtesy to our visitors and also avoid using hotel premises as dens for criminals and other social misfits, he urged.

He commended the award winners for their achievements and urged them to share their honour with other colleagues in similar industries to help promote tourism in the country.

The Acting Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, Ms Comfort Opoku-Ware, said the awards scheme was to generate competition among tourism establishment so as to motivate them to give of their best in quality service delivery.

The Hotel of the year (4-5 star) award went to Novotel, Accra while Guesthouse of the year went to Eastonments Guest Lodge, Accra and Restaurant of the year (Ghanaian), went to Connet Restaurant, Accra. Alice Yibor of Central Hotel, Accra, received the Housekeeper of the year whiles Mr Henry Nii Addy of Asanka Locals, Accra, received the Host of the year award.