The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has underscored the critical role of health tourism in Ghana’s development, stressing the urgent need for affordable accommodation facilities to support patients, caregivers and medical tourists across the country.
Speaking during an engagement with representatives of the Turkish Investment Center and key stakeholders, the Minister noted that health and tourism are closely linked, explaining that many people travel to Ghana for various medical treatments, while others journey from distant regions to Accra for healthcare services. According to her, the lack of affordable accommodation often becomes a financial burden that affects access to treatment.
“To ensure people get the care they need, there must be low-cost sleeping facilities that are not financially burdensome,” she said, adding that small-budget accommodation facilities across the country would greatly support both domestic and international health tourism.
Hon. Gomashie further assured the Turkish delegation that Ghana has litigation-free lands to boost investor confidence and enable them to bring in their resources and expertise to support the sector. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to facilitate presentations and engage further on proposed investments.
As part of Ghana’s expectations, the Minister formally requested the development of a Five Thousand (5,000) capacity hotel in any part of the country, as well as the establishment of a tourism and hospitality school to serve Ghana and the wider sub-region.
The engagement formed part of a broader visit by representatives of the Turkish Investment Center, who announced strong interest in expanding investments in Ghana, particularly in health, defense, agriculture, information technology and tourism-related infrastructure.
The delegation, led by Ghana’s Ambassador to Turkey, H.E. Abdul Nasiru-Deen, explained that the Turkish Investment Center is a private institution supported by the Government of Turkey, established to promote investments across Africa through Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
According to the delegation, although several investment opportunities had already been allocated to other sectors, two key proposals were selected for discussion due to their relevance to the Ministry’s mandate.
The investors also sought clarity on the Ministry’s roadmap for implementing the proposed projects and disclosed that their investment scope also covers food production and media, should further opportunities arise.
Joining the sector minister at this meeting was Mr. Joseph Kwasi Amoah, the Chief Director of the Ministry and Mr. Divine Kwame Owusu-Ansah, Director for Culture and Creative Arts
Source: Delassie Mabel Awuku-PR-Unit=MoTCCA
