Five other countries also got elected to the council but with lesser votes. These countries are Nigeria, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanza­nia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The election of Council mem­bers was the highlight of activities at the 66th UNWTO Commission for Africa meeting on the theme: “Rethinking Tourism for Africa: Addressing global challenges; Promoting investment and part­nerships.”

The new members will be for­mally approved at the next General Assembly meeting of the UNW­TO in Uzbekistan in October this year.

The Executive Council among other things, take measures in consultation with the Secretary General to implement decisions to boost tourism across the globe.

In his acceptance speech, Gha­na’s Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, who was full of praise for his colleague-Ministers for the trust reposed in him, pledged Gha­na’s commitment to help put travel and tourism at the summit of the global development agenda.

It will be recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Ad­do recently tasked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to implement innovative strategies to make tourism, arts and culture contribute effectively to national development.

The President also directed the Ministry to ensure that internation­al tourist arrivals reach two million by 2025 with corresponding receipts of $6 billion annually.

Dr Awal called on African Tour­ism Ministers to pursue sustainable tourism practices in order to pro­tect the environment and ensure that communities benefit from the tourism diffident.

He also called for investment in tourism infrastructure and also to build the capacity of operators along the tourism value chain to enhance the continent’s competi­tiveness.