He described the decline as a “heavy blow” to the industry and blamed it on “petty squabbles” relating to land ownership and management of the facilities. Alhaji Amadu who was addressing this year’s Regional Tourism Awards ceremony in Ho, said bad roads, inadequate activities at the sites and lack of data also contributed to the decline.

He said the situation was gradually collapsing some attractions and sites and called for concerted efforts from stakeholders, especially traditional rulers to reposition the Region as major tourist destination in the country.

Alhaji Amadu called on Municipal and District Assemblies in the Region to give priority to tourism development and promotion.He said the Authority was strategising to enable more rural communities to participate and enjoy benefits of tourism through “stay home” concept, which allowed visitors to stay with host families within rural communities.

Mr Spencer Doku, Manager, Planning and Business Development, GHA, described the Region as a “giant” in tourism resources and appealed to stakeholders to help develop and promote the sector. Madam Dzifa Gomashie, Deputy Minister, Tourism and Creative Arts, asked payers in the hospitality industry to re-package festivals in the Region to attract tourists.

She also urged them to ensure quality service delivery, saying, “service must not change. The name of the hotel can change, workers can leave but quality service must not change”. A total of 27 individuals, attractions and sites were awarded and appreciated for their contributions to the sector in the year.