Ministry of Tourism in Ghana has inked a deal with an investor to develop tourism infrastructure at Shai Hills Resource Reserve and Kakum National Park.

In a bid to bolster tourism to two of its most famous natural reserves, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MoTAC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Guma Group on a USD 50 million investment package to build and redevelop selected tourism enterprises.

According to a press statement by the ministry, the MoU provides a roadmap for the partnership, which includes the designing, initiation, building, and rehabilitation of various projects under the aegis of the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) to ensure the tourism sector’s effective and efficient development.  

The parties agreed to cooperate with each other to develop the enterprises within the next 24 and 60 months.

The statement adds that the investment entails the upgrade of the tented Shai Hills Resource Reserve into a luxury resort with rooms and a restaurant, as well as developing a Cultural Village like South Africa’s Lesedi concept.

It would also develop Kakum National Park into an Eco-lodge, offering tourists overnight accommodation at two designated sites of  Mfuom and Antwikwao, as well as tree top houses, mobile tented camps and picnicking areas. Guma will also operate a restaurant here.

The Mole National Park would create two new locations to provide lodging and restaurant services and explore other product opportunities. Guma would also open and operate the second gate at Ducie Camp.

The ministry says that the investor is also interested in establishing an airport lounge and duty-free outlets in the city to run Diplomatic Duty-Free stores. Other concessionaires, in collaboration with the investor and the Department of Forestry, would rehabilitate and operate the light aircraft landing fields close to National Parks/Reserves, and improve arterial roads connecting tourism products and nodes.

The investor would set up retail outlets at various tourist destinations, with most of the products sold at such outlets to be sourced from local Ghanaian suppliers, in addition to helping to train Ghana’s human capital resource.  

Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Minister of Tourism said on the occasion that the MoU was part of the efforts targeted at achieving 2 million arrivals in Ghana before 2026.

“Tourism is government-led but private sector-driven. That is why we have our colleagues from the GUMA Group here investing in Ghana. The arrivals can give us a minimum of $6 billion. Our plan is to create 150 thousand jobs,” Awal said.

Robert Matana Gumede, Executive Chairman of the Guma Group of Companies, said Ghana was an attractive trade and investment destination with tremendous tourism and investment potential.

He added that investing in Ghana would open the way for future investments in other West African countries. Guma Group is a South African-led integrated tourism company that attracts visitors from all over the world.