Tourism Minister urges CEOs to invest in creative arts and tourism industries

The Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has urged Ghanaian business leaders to invest more in the creative arts and tourism sectors, emphasizing their role in economic growth, job creation, and national development. At the Ghana CEO Awards, Gomashie urged CEOs to go beyond hosting creative performers at events and commit to supporting the broader creative industry through investments, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships.

"Just after the performances, you forget us. I accept that to come to this event to remind you that we do for you," she said.

Gomashie highlighted that Ghana's heritage festivals, music, film, fashion, gastronomy, and hospitality sectors can generate wealth, create sustainable livelihoods, and attract foreign exchange. She stressed that every festival, cultural experience, and Ghanaian story, when properly packaged and promoted, can become an export to the world. The Minister argued that tourism and creative industries should not be limited to leisure and entertainment but can contribute significantly to the country's economic transformation.

Gomashie called for a shift in perception of creative professionals, urging corporate leaders to view entrepreneurs, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners as industrialists, investors, and economic contributors, respectively. She urged business leaders to support efforts to commercialize Ghana's creativity responsibly, protect cultural heritage, and create pathways for young people to turn their talents into sustainable enterprises.

"Our ambition must be to build an economy where the creative entrepreneur is valued as an industrialist, the filmmaker as an investor, the cultural practitioner as an economic contributor, and the tourism operator as a strategic partner in national development," she concluded.