The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in the Ashanti region celebrated this year’s Chocolate Day at the Kumasi Zoo with students and other patrons of the zoo.
The day, marked by the distribution of chocolate, was under the theme, “Eat chocolate, stay healthy, grow Ghana.”
The Authority, in its bid to promote the sector, encouraged the consumption of made-in-Ghana products and the patronage of local tourism.
The Ashanti Regional Director of GTA, Frederick Adjei-Rudolph, condemned the destruction of cocoa farms for illegal mining activities, as chocolate is produced from cocoa.
He highlighted the key role tourism plays in the development of the Ghanaian economy and called on individuals and other relevant authorities to collaboratively contribute to the promotion of the sector.
The Director said, “As we all know, Chocolate Day started in the year 2005, and the whole idea behind this celebration is to take the minds of the youth off certain things that are normally done during Valentine’s Day. The late Obetsebi Lamptey instituted the Chocolate Day. He did it for three main reasons: to promote cocoa and cocoa products, to use cocoa as a form of tourism tool, and to show love to people. And take their minds off certain sexual behaviors that happen during Chocolate Day.”
He added, “If you are promoting cocoa to the whole world, then it means that the base of cocoa, which is the cocoa farms, must be protected. So I am not in favor of people mining in cocoa farms. I think the various authorities that are in charge, for example, COCOBOD, Ministry of Agric, and National Security, are doing their best to ensure these things do not happen.”
He further emphasized the importance of the promotion of tourism to rake in revenue for the country.
“If you look at the number of people that the tourist sector is employing, you can’t quantify it. Right from hospitality, food and beverage, travel, trade, and even the attractions, it is generating a lot of income. You and I know that in the last two or three years, there’s constant visibility of tourism as the only tool that can take us out of our economic woes. We have had oil, and we don’t know what is happening to it, we had our gold, but tourism is one commodity that cannot finish; it has no beginning, has no end,” he said.
The Manager of the Kumasi Zoo, Dr. Meyir Ziekah, lauded higher patronage, bemoaning poor infrastructure at the zoo.
The manager mentioned that “In 2023, the zoo recorded some 172,000 visitors, which we are very proud and happy about. Since 2017, there has been an increment in the number of visitors coming to the zoo, and this has affected the revenue. Just that the revenue charged by the zoo is very small.”
He stressed, “The zoo still has some challenges that, as a tourist site, we need to work on. Our walkways are not in good shape. If you are physically challenged, using a wheelchair, it will be difficult for you to go through to see the animals. So those are some of the things that the Forestry Commission is taking measures to see how that can be solved. We also invite partners to support the government in some of these things.”
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