The statistic, the Professor emphasised, would provide over 1.4 million jobs for citizens and help to close the country’s employment gap.
Prof Annim made the announcement during the first launch of this year’s Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS) in Winneba, Central Region.
The Ghana International Travellers’ Survey, the Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey, the Accommodation Units Survey, and the Tourism Supply Establishment Survey are among the surveys.
The goal is to compile the Tourism Satellite Account for three years to serve as a foundation for computing the sector’s information for national growth.
The Harmonising and Improving Statistics in West Africa is funding the Survey which would commence on April 19, 2023.
“The way to go is tourism because the sector will promote all the needed resource needs of the country for socio-economic development,” he said.
He claimed that tracking the country’s potential sector will allow authorities to know a variety of tourism-related facts for complete mapping and decision making.
He stated that the Statistical Service was profiling the policies of the country’s Ministries and Agencies to ensure that there were clear objectives for quality data.
Prof Annim urged the field officers to be enthusiastic about their work and to collect data that may be used to make sound decisions.
“You have the opportunity to transform lives through your work. Be professional in the discharge of your duties,” he said.
He stated that the necessity for a trustworthy and robust data base was critical as the government worked to implement the existing 15-year Tourism Development Plan (2013-2027) and other policy instruments.
Prof Kwaku Boakye, Chair of the Survey’s Technical Team, stated that the rise of tourism had not gone unnoticed by governments, who continued to invest and research methods to maximise the sector’s advantages.
According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, the tourism industry earned $1.7 trillion in revenue in 2019 and employed one out of every ten people worldwide.
He stated that tourism potential has greatly contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in poverty reduction, decent jobs, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
He promised to generate high-quality data for the country’s planning and decision-making.
Dr Ebenezer Kojo Ocran, Survey Coordinator, stated that a total of 220 people had been mobilised for survey training. He stated that the Survey instruments addressed ideas and definitions, questionnaire administration, and other topics.
DOTS entails gathering, compiling, assessing, and disseminating tourism information about Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians living in Ghana.
Tags: Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey (DOTS), Ebenezer Kojo Ocran, Ghana, Samuel Annim, outbound tourism, sustainable tourism, Tourism industry, tourist arrivals, Kwaku Boakye, Survey’s Technical Team, UNWTO
