MoTAC, Ghana Targets USD 40 Mn World Bank Grant for Tourism Development
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MoTAC) of Ghana, is on the verge of benefiting from a grant of USD 4o Mn from the World Bank for tourism development. The fund is expected by the end of this year through the International Development Association. The fund will help the Ministry to strengthen the enabling environment of tourism in Ghana, develop tourism sites and destinations, and also push Small and Medium Enterprises operating in the industry.
The Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku spoke on the sidelines of the maiden “Women in Tourism Summit,” along with which she reported that a chunk of the fund would be allocated specifically for entrepreneurs and indigenous businesses working in the tourism industry. Disclosing this, she said, “Through this intervention, women who make the bulk of SMEs in the tourism industry as reports indicate that tourism entrepreneurs, particularly women, struggle to access financial assistance to grow their businesses.”
In Ghana, a considerable number of employees in the hotel and restaurant sub-sector of the tourism industry are women. Nevertheless, most of them do not receive the empowerment they require to make all-round progress. According to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), women constitute 60 percent of the tourism sector globally, yet, a significant number of them are kept at bay promotions and decent compensation. The maiden ‘Women in Tourism Summit’ is a program put together by the Women in Tourism while partnering with African Tourism Partners. The initiative is to identify programs having the potential of making collossal, that could be adopted in an effort to leverage tourism as a vehicle for mainstreaming women’s role in the tourism sector of Ghana.
The event was held under the auspices of the Ghana Tourism Authority, and was held to promote women’s economic empowerment in tourism through partnerships with key stakeholders across the whole travel, tourism and hospitality value chain.
A variety of topics were discussed at the summit, including Improving Entrepreneurship Opportunities For Women by Facilitating Their Access to Funding, Creating Possibilities for Career Advancements and Participating in Supply Chains.
