The team from the British Council with the Ministry of Tourism staff when they met
The British Council, led by Nii Doodo Dodoo, has paid a working visit to Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to explore areas of collaboration in promoting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage.
The visit was marked by discussions on enhancing the creative arts sector and leveraging tourism as a significant economic contributor.
Welcoming the delegation, Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie expressed appreciation for the British Council’s longstanding role in supporting arts and culture in Ghana.
She emphasised the need for increased support in areas such as gastronomy, craft, dance, and painting, which she said receive minimal investment despite their potential to elevate Ghana’s cultural presence globally.
“Ghana does not lack talent, but we require the correct training to make our creatives marketable and competitive on the world stage,” the minister stated.
She also underscored the importance of educating and professionalising tour guides, ensuring they narrate Ghana’s history accurately and engagingly without distorting facts.
Dodoo, an international development expert who led the group, reflected on his ties to Ghana’s tourism sector, describing the visit as a “homecoming” and recounting his early experiences as a tour guide in Ghana.
He noted that the British Council has been active in the country for over 80 years, contributing to various sectors, particularly arts and culture.
The organisation expressed keen interest in the “Black Star Experience” initiative and its role in shaping Ghana’s cultural narrative.
“In the UK, tourism contributes close to 16 billion pounds annually, with about one million people employed in the industry. There are immense lessons Ghana can take from such a model,” Dodoo remarked.
The discussion also touched on empowering young artists with business skills to maximize commercial benefits from their talents.
The British Council reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating cultural exchanges and strengthening Ghana’s creative economy through strategic partnerships.
The minister, reiterating the need for consistency and quality in Ghanaian arts and crafts, shared a personal observation: carvings she traded in the 1980s remain intact, whereas more recent gifts from other countries have deteriorated quickly.
“Policy must recondition mindsets and ensure consistency in our cultural outputs,” she asserted.
The engagement between the British Council and the ministry marks a step forward in fostering stronger partnerships for the development of Ghana’s tourism, Culture, and creative arts sectors.