Happy New Year to you, minister! This blog, which in the war of the sexes - in a nation full of philandering males - is firmly on the side of women, wishes you every success in your new job. Hopefully, the misogynists who undermined your work in your previous portfolio, will now leave you alone to do your important work for Mother Ghana, at the tourism ministry. Luckily for you, there is no incentive there for those unprincipled and ace-freeloaders, who constantly seek to exploit political power, for their own selfish ends: and amass tainted-wealth quickly in the process. We all saw the disgraceful way that some of them carried on during the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa – with a number of them engaging in what amounted to profiteering at the expense of our homeland Ghana, in the provision of flights and accommodation, for those Ghanaians who were sponsored by the government, to support the Black Stars.
At the risk of sounding presumptuous, may I humbly make a few suggestions, minister? I suggest that you use our embassies in the US; the EU; and the UK, to get some of the travel writers who write for leading newspapers in those nations, to visit Ghana – and write about their experiences here. I worked together with Ghana’s leading green tour company, M&J Travel and Tours Limited and Hands Up Holidays of the UK, in helping to organize the in-country aspects of The Independent on Sunday's Ian Burrel's trip to Ghana, during the 2008 CAF football tournament. He wrote a wonderful piece in the travel-page of the Independent on Sunday about Ghana – and not a few tourists from the UK have visited Ghana since as a result. Such travelogues in overseas newspapers help create awareness about our nation. They could be read, for example, by some of those in the outbound tourism markets of the US, the UK, and the EU and elsewhere, who still have jobs and feel that going abroad on holidays, is an important factor in helping them maintain a good work-life balance.
It is a relatively cheap way of advertising our marvelous country overseas. Above all, do not allow those with vested interests in selling tickets to those foreigners, who are brought here at hapless Ghanaian taxpayers’ expense, to ostensibly demonstrate and teach para-gliding to ordinary Ghanaians in the Kwawu Mountains, during the Easter break, to continue having their way. Rather than follow that daft path, it would be far more beneficial to the national economy, to get the cash-rich telecoms companies in Ghana to put up substantial prize-money, for two major competitions: an African para-gliding championship (for civilians!) and a world military para-gliding championship, to be held in tandem – in the Kwawu Mountains during the Easter holidays. Obviously that cannot be done this year – but make that a goal, minister. It is outrageous that our country has to sponsor people from nations much wealthier than ours, to come to Ghana, and in effect, have fun para-gliding here, at taxpayers’ expense.
I also suggest that you google Sustainable Travel International (STI). Minister, it might make a great deal of sense to strike an alliance with them, to help Ghana break into the outbound US responsible travel market. Do talk to STI’s Brain Mullis and get him to visit Ghana to that end. A lasting legacy for you in the tourism ministry, would be to get the Thailand Community-based Tourism Institute (CBT-I) of Chiangmai University, to collaborate with the Okyenehene’s Environmental University and the University of Cape Coast, to set up similar institutes here, in the two institutions, to help improve the quality of Ghana’s tourism professionals. Finally, I also suggest that you talk to Mr. John Mason of the Nature Research and Conservation Centre (NCRC). He is a Canadian who has adopted Ghana as his home-country and taken up citizenship here. He has contributed a great deal to Ghana’s community-based eco-tourism industry. Talking to him, and getting a key private-sector viewpoint that way, will be very insightful for you, in my humble opinion. Good luck in your new portfolio, Minister.
Tel (powered by Tigo - the one mobile phone network in Ghana that actually works!): + 233 (0) 27 745 3109.
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