PROJECT THE IMAGE OF UPPER EAST THROUGH TOURISM

23-09-09 PROJECT THE IMAGE OF UPPER EAST THROUGH TOURISM
Residents in the three Northern Regions of Ghana, particularly, those in the Upper East Region, have been called upon to help project the image of the region through tourism. In spite of the rich potentials that abound in the region, the picture and perception about the region to the outside world is always one that is associated with deprivation, poverty, misery and violent conflicts. The Upper East Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, Mary Agangmikre made the appeal in an interview with Radio Ghana AT Bolgatanga. She mentioned some of the attractive tourist sites in the region as Tenzug Shrine, Tongo hills, Paga crocodile pond, Sirigu Pottery and Arts, Tono irrigation dam site, the Navrongo Catholic Cathedral, Bongo rocks and caves, the Kulungungu bomb site , Woriyanga legendary mosque among others. Mrs. Agangmikre stressed that despite all these great potentials of the region, it is still viewed as one of the most deprived areas where most people live in abject poverty and misery. She therefore called on the people in the region to embrace the on-going World Tourism Day by showcasing the regions great tourist potentials to the outside world. This according to her, would not only demystify the negative perceptions that outsiders have about the region but would also attract qualified professionals and investors to the region to propel its developmental efforts. Mrs. Agangmikre is therefore appealing to public and private sectors, NGOs, as well as the municipal and district assemblies to contribute their quota in raising public awareness on the need for people to patronized tourist sites in the region in order to generate more revenue to develop such sites.
GBC END IA/