The conference, which is on the theme, "Realizing the 2030 Agenda: Combat Marine Litter, Create Tourism," also seeks to create awareness on the dangers of plastic waste littering which threatens marine life and dents  the beauty of Ghana's coast.

In a key note address on Monday by the Former Africa Regional Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign, Mr. Charles Abugre, at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra,  indicated that the increasing presence of non-biodegradable wastes in Ghana was as a result of Ghana's taste for foreign products.

Mr. Abugre, a Development Economist, said that Ghana was part of a connected world which made her consumption patterns connected with that of the rest of the world, "And so Ghanaians largely go for processed and packaged food, shining dresses, etc. which generate waste."

Mr. Abugre insisted that Ghanaians needed to combat marine litter from everywhere because the waste generated elsewhere would eventually wash into the ocean, a situation which was facilitated by open drains which collected wastes and transported them into the sea during rain storms and subsequent run offs.

He indicated that Ghana's fast deforestation drive meant that the forest which is a green belt, that could stop the waste from moving into water bodies were depleting, and as waste got into the water courses, they are carried into the sea because most rivers flow into the oceans.

The Director of Environmental 360, Madam Cordie Aziz, speaking on the topic, "What to do by combating marine litter," called on everyone to start a movement that would change the course of Ghanaian beaches.

Madam Aziz, whose organization collects and recycles plastic wastes, said, "To become ambassadors, it was not enough for people to just acknowledge the need for change; instead we must take the challenge and make every person we interact with to understand that marine litter was not only having a negative impact on the tourism sector, but also on health of coastal communities, on the livelihood of fishing communities and a detrimental effect on our environment."

She said one should be committed to telling friends and family to pick up waste and join initiatives like cleaning beaches and communities.

"If you cannot protect the beaches today you may not have a job tomorrow because Ghanaian tourism is basically cultural and beach tourism," she said.

Madam Aziz observed that separating plastic wastes from other waste materials and sending the plastics to appropriate authorities who may need them for recycling was another means of fighting electronic waste littering.

The South African Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Lulu Xingwana, in an attempt to portray the essence of tourism in national life, said that all extractive natural resources would be depleted one day, but tourism would strive, therefore the need for countries to market themselves to attract potential visitors.

The problem of marine litter to the coastal communities was a huge one. Not only did litter of plastics on our beaches take away from the natural beauty of our countries, it also posed a health and environmental hazard which threatened marine life and the entire ecosystem, she informed.

Youth in Tourism Conference is an initiative of Miss Tourism Ghana, and brings various youths together to learn about Ghana's tourism potential and how to safeguard it.

Other speakers at the conference included Professor Damien DuChamp, the Head of Hospitality at St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, Makafui Seshie, an Events Ambassador at Max International, and Richmond Quarcoo, Co-Founder and Director, Plastic Punch.

Sponsors of the 2019 conference included Max International, Voltic, MTN, Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Environmental 360 and Ethiopian Airlines.