President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that the refurbished National Museum is expected to attract about 150,000 visitors each year and will contribute significantly to the country’s goal to achieve one million domestic tourists arrivals.
“The National Museum has not been renovated since 1957, 65 years after its construction, and we hope this facelift that has restored it to its full original state with an inclusion of additional exhibits and artefacts will attract significant visitors and enrich their experience for domestic revenue,” the President said.
Speaking at the reopening ceremony of the National Museum, the President said the National Museum presents an opportunity to monetize these resources and drive the needed investment to consolidate tourism as the third-largest foreign exchange earner after cocoa and minerals resources.
“Ghana has 65% of the world’s edifices linked to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, with the oldest European edifice in Africa- Elmina Castle built by the Portuguese in 1482- being situated in Ghana,” he added.
According to him, the efforts to restore the museum are part of the government’s comprehensive vision to help create a more vibrant cultural-industry sector-with an injection of an additional US$10million to renovate other key museums across the country.
The President revealed the government has improvised digital applications such as the visitGhanaApp, developed to help tourism enterprise operators to promote and advertise their products.
“The plans are underway to digitalise all museums and monuments to give them global appeal, in addition to building five ultra-modern amphitheaters across the country,” he added.
To enrich the experience of visitors to the Museum, the curators of the National Museum have also added seven of the vehicles used by former Heads of State, including three (3) E-450 Mercedes Benz vehicles, two (2) Nissan Patrols, a limousine and a Toyota Land Cruiser.
