Tourism Minister Urges New Envoys to Promote Ghana’s Creative Economy Abroad

Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on newly appointed diplomats to actively promote the country’s creative industry and cultural assets as part of their official duties abroad.
Addressing the orientation program for new envoys and the Conference of Heads of Mission in Accra, the Minister emphasized the strategic role of cultural diplomacy in advancing Ghana’s “Reset Agenda” and boosting national development.
“We are strong on Culture, and we are strong on Creative Arts. That is what is promoting our tourism,” Hon. Gomashie said. “It’s time we recognize that the creative sector is not just entertainment, it’s a key contributor to GDP and national development.”
The Minister urged diplomats to integrate Ghana’s creative professionals into international engagements and National Day events hosted by Ghanaian missions. She highlighted how events by global music stars like Stonebwoy create jobs across diverse sectors, including law, administration, and marketing.
“Imagine Stonebwoy organizing one event and how many people he’s able to employ. The whole value chain includes some of you who studied administration, political science, or law,” she noted. “We create the opportunities for you to be employed.”
She called on the envoys to “allow the creatives to fly on your wings,” stressing that while Ghana has an abundance of talent, opportunities to showcase it globally remain limited.
The Minister also underscored the need to preserve Ghana’s indigenous languages, warning that without action, some may face extinction. She pointed to the role of the Bureau of Ghana Languages in safeguarding the country’s linguistic heritage.
“Languages do expire,” she cautioned. “Latin was once taught in schools and is now virtually extinct. We must protect our own languages before they disappear.”
To support the envoys in their advocacy roles, Hon. Gomashie announced that each mission would receive a digital briefing pack detailing the work of the Ministry and its 13 agencies, including the Ghana Tourism Authority and the National Commission on Culture.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was the host of this activity in his opening remarks explained that the orientation forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to align diplomatic missions with national development objectives.
Source: Delassie Mabel Awuku, PR Unit -MoTCCA