Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare

Ofosu-Adjare was appointed on 1 March 2013 by President John Dramani Mahama to the newly created/realigned Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts. As the Sector Minister, she worked creditably with fourteen (14) Agencies under her ministry introduced innovative,novelty tourism programs as an addition to Ghana’s Tourism products & Offerings.

Worthy of mention is the ExploreGhana project launched in 2014 to stimulate and drive domestic tourism in Ghana.[5] After three years of the launch, domestic tourism has received wide coverage by media outlets & organizations. Thus ensuring the country is promoting ‘’Responsible Tourism’’ which offers a diverse tourism product mix, which both local and international tourists benefit from.[5]

Another major traditional festival introduced was the Homogeneous Festival for the Ga State. For the first time in Ghana, the ministry nurtured this Homogeneous Festival to ensure the Greater Accra Region has its own brand festival. She also restructured the National Festival for Arts & Culture (NAFAC)[6] and the famous Ghana Carnival introduced in her maiden year in office.[7] She is also credited with the setting up of Tourism levy secretariat to help improve the collection & payment of the 1% Tourism levy. This levy has generated substantial funds for the execution of tourism projects especially in the area in of capacity building and tourism promotion.[8]

Other achievements of Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare was done in the area of a legislative framework to support the work of the creative Arts industry. Currently she lead the passage of the Film Bill, which went through cabinet and was approved by Parliament into become law. This new bill replaced the old Film Act of 1961 and was the first time such a new legislative framework was introduced to ensure the Film and Television sector got the much-needed legal backing in Ghana.[9]

African ministers @ 21st UNWTO General Assembly

She led a high powered Government Delegation to accompany the return of the King of Ashanti Kingdom, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to the Seychelles Islands where the King of Ashanti, Nana Prempeh I was sent to exile during the Ashanti-British war in 1900. It was the first time a sitting Ashanti King has visited the Seychelles Islands.[10][11]

On the International level, she has led Ghana’s tourism sector by consistently appearing at the major Tourism fairs and exhibitions like the World Travel Market, International Tourism Bourse (ITB), FITUR International Travel Fair, Vakantiebeurs Holiday Fair, & China Outbound Tourism & Travel Market (COTTM). Never before has Ghana been marketed on the international level since the last three years of her tenure as the Sector Minister.

She lobbied her colleague African Ministers & the top echelons of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to have Ghana host the first ever Brand Africa conference in Accra in August 2015.[12] Her popularity and energetic role in the International Tourism matters helped Ghana to be elected on to the Executive Council of the UN Tourism body at its 21st UNWTO Session in Medellin Colombia.