The Minister for Tourism and Creative Arts, Andrew Egyapa Mercer has emphasized the importance tourism plays in our socioeconomic development and the need to exploit it.
Speaking on the sidelines of the celebration of the 2024 National Tourism Day at Sekondi in the Western Region, he emphasized the importance of engendering peace to promote tourism, especially as we go to the polls in December.
The World Tourism Day is commemorated every 27th of September to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and encourage collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the industry’s growth aligns with sustainability goals.
The theme for 2024 “Tourism and Peace”, wants to highlight the vital role of the sector in fostering peace and understanding between nations and cultures and in supporting reconciliation processes. It is in this regard that the sector minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer who was speaking on the sidelines of the national event at the Sekondi Youth Center stressed the importance of using tourism to engender peace, especially as we go to the polls in December.
“My message out to everybody is to engender peace among ourselves, within our communities, within our political environment because that’s where we often sense the tension, especially in an election year such as this.”
“But ultimately, we must all recognize that what is at stake is really a contest of ideas and so it’s not necessary to beat war drums. We should have a civil discourse within a peaceful environment that then offers our citizens the opportunity to make a choice between which idea they believe best represents their interests going into the future.”
We necessarily have to do that devoid of rancor, devoid of acrimony, devoid of violence and we should engender peace at all times and so, as we celebrate World Tourism Day, I would ask that we reflect on these principles that necessarily have to guide our political discourse knowing very well that when there’s violence, when there’s chaos, then whatever things that we aspire for, is destroyed.”
The event brought together stakeholders in the industry including traditional leaders, representatives from the Hoteliers’ Association, MUSIGA and the National Peace Council.
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By Ewurama Smith
The post Tourism Minister calls for peace to enjoy benefits of tourism first appeared on 3News.
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