President Akufo-Addo has tasked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to ensure the country brings in one million tourists annually just to tour the newly revamped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The President commissioned the renovated park on Tuesday, July 4, hence making it accessible to the public.
In his address to the gathering, the President noted that prior to its renovation, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park brought in about 90,000 tourists yearly, thus an upgrade should lead to an increase in the number of tourists.
“Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park which attracted some 90,000 annually before the renovation, is now expected to attract over one million tourists annually. I’m charging the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and its agencies to devise effective marketing and promotional strategies, to achieve the target of 1 million domestic and international tourist visitations to the Park”.
The park which is located on the coast of Accra was built by the late Jerry John Rawlings in the year 1990 in honour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. It was subsequently opened to the public in 1992.
Since its construction, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park had not seen any revamp. On 19th July 2022, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, cut sod for the commencement of the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum.
This was after the government in 2018 secured a US$40 million loan facility from the World Bank through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to strengthen the tourism environment.
Now in its upgraded state, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park houses a presidential library, an audio-visual Fountain which incorporates captivating visuals and synchronized music, an upgraded road and drainage Network among others.
On their part, the family of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah expressed appreciation to government for the redevelopment of the Memorial Park.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has revealed that government is on a quest to make Ghana the hub of tourism in West Africa and as such is committed to building museums and other tourist attractions in various parts of the country.
As part of this initiative, government is set to construct a museum dedicated to Asante warrior and Queen Mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, and the big six, among others.
“Construction of museums and heroes park for the big six, a memorial park in Cape Coast for the Aborigines, a memorial enclave in Tamale for the founders of the erstwhile Northern People’s Party to symbolise their participation in the drive for national independence and the completion of the ongoing works at the Bonwire museum and Yaa Asantewaa museum, both in Ejisu are in the offing,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Tourism forms parts of ways to grow an economy and in Ghana, the sector stands as the third largest contributor to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The tourism sector in 2021 generated a revenue of $2.1 billion and contributed about $2.3 billion in the subsequent year.
The government plans to rake in $4 billion from the tourism sector by 2024.