A total of 1.3 million foreign visitors are expected to arrive in the country to participate in this year's Tourism Month, the Board Chairman of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr Seth Adjei Baah has disclosed.

According to him, the partic­ipation of the foreign visitors was important as it would gen­erate revenue for the operators in the tourism and hospitality sector while boosting the coun­try's economy.

Mr Adjei Baah said these in Accra on Friday at the launch of the Tourism Month, which would climax the United Na­tions World Tourism Day.

The 'Tourism Month,' an initiative of the GTA that is celebrated every September, is designed to boost domestic tourism, encourage patronage of tourism activities, and high­light the significance of tourism to Ghana's economy.

The World Tourism Day (WTD), on the other hand, is commemorated annually on September 27 to foster aware­ness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

The theme for this year's cel­ebration is 'Tourism and Peace.' Speaking at the launch of the event, the Deputy Chief Execu­tive Officer (CEO) of GTA, Mr Ben Anane-Nsiah, emphasised the goal of GTA to establish tourism as a year-round activity, ensuring continuous patronage of tourism-related businesses and positioning Ghana as a competitive tourist destination.

The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso Constituency, Mr Davies Opoku Ansah, com­mended GTA for the initia­tive and pledged his support towards it.

Mr Ansah, who is also a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, said Tourism Month has successful­ly driven tourists to the Kwahu area beyond the Easter period, particularly during the annual Kwahu Paragliding Festival. "With 'YenkoKwahu'-a key activity during Tourism Month-a substantial number of tourists have been able to explore the area's rich tourism offerings," he added.

The Marketing Director of GTA, Ms Betty Kobi, out­lined some of the activities that would take place during the celebrations, including cultural and arts festivals, bazaars, exhibitions, adventure and sporting events, musical concerts, pageant, tours, cruises and encouraged the citizenry to participate in the event to make it a success.

For his part, the President of Ghana Tourism Federa­tion (GHATOF), Mr Charles Adu-Gyamfi, in a brief remark said "GHATOF stands ready and prepare to partner GTA and the Tourism Ministry to promote Ghana as the pre­ferred tourism destination in Africa where there is peace, tol­erance, fairness and inclusivity." A key highlight of the activi­ties outlined was the celebration of the WTD on September 27, with national commemorations in Sekondi-Takoradi and a Cho­ral Festival in Accra  BY PRECIOUS NYARKO BOAKYE