Government committed to boosting Tourism Potential of Ghana

Ghana: Vice President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister of Tourism, Akua Sena Dansua, to conclude arrangements with the Cable News Network (CNN) for a documentary on the tourism potential of Ghana.

The Vice President in a meeting with the Minister and a team from CNN at the Castle, Osu in Accra, mentioned the potential of the tourism sector and said if properly harnessed could move up from its current position as the country’s 3rd largest contributor to the number one spot.

According to Vice President Mahama, Ghana is making strides in the new oil industry, which needs a credible media platform like the CNN to project its potential to attract businesses and investors across the globe.

The Vice President commended the Minister for initiating the project and assured her of government’s support to develop the tourism sector to its fullest potential.

He appealed to other corporate organisations and individuals to support the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism to market Ghana at the highest platform.

The Minister of Tourism, Akua Sena Dansua explained that at a World Tourism Organisation meeting held in Korea last year, it became imminent that Ghana’s tourism sector needed a boost and therefore the CNN became handy as a bigger platform to project its image.

She explained that at another meeting held in London in November last year, the details and modalities of the discussions were laid.

Madam Dansua said the CNN team then came down to Ghana to hold stakeholders meetings with all those who matter in the tourism business and it was very fruitful.

She noted that the decision is to re-promote and re-market Ghana as the Tourism destination in West Africa in particular and Africa in general in terms of both political and economic stabilities.

Madam Dansua mentioned that with the vast experience of Vice President Mahama as a media person and public relations acumen, the project is bound to market Ghana at the highest level.

She commended the Vice President for supporting the project and pledged to work with the CNN team to ensure its success.

The Tourism Minister also appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the project to make the tourism sector one of the best in Africa.

The CNN team explained that Ghana will be in charge of its own destiny as it tells its own story to the world.

The team assured the government that the documentary will open the country’s doors to potential investors.

KIA Inaugurates SITA Airport Passenger Facilitation Technology

Accra-Ghana: Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has joined the league of major airports worldwide using passenger facilitation technologies from SITA.

It joins airports in Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Atlanta and Toronto as well as South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Guinea who are using these SITA systems. SITA is the world's leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology (IT) solutions.

It delivers and manages business solutions for airlines, airport, governments and other customers.

Speaking at the inauguration at KIA in Accra yesterday, Mr Sam Munda, Sales Director of SITA in-charge of Sub-Saharan Africa said management will provide the KIA with Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE), Common-Use Self Serve (CUSS) check-in kiosks, Baggage Reconciliation System and Airport Management Solutions worth 15 million dollars.

He said these technologies, which are pre-financed by SITA, will help to increase efficiency at the airport and also reduce congestion at the terminals.

The CUSS allows passengers to check themselves in before departure electronically, thus reducing congestion at the check—in desks during peak hours.

The baggage reconciliation system also tracks out-going baggage from the airport until it is loaded onto the aircraft.

“This system would solve the problem of misplaced and mishandled baggage because it ensures that the right baggage is on the right aircraft for the right person,” he added.

SITA’s suite of airport management solutions integrates with a new airport data base and Airport vision, which ensures passengers a real-time view on flight changes and a resource management system also help management of the airport to bill accurately and quickly, enhance allocation of resources (gates, check-in desks/kiosks etc) to airlines and give them an information base as well as reduce costs and create revenue for KIA.

Mr Munda said SITA will recoup its investment over a 10-year period from the airlines operating at KIA through passenger charges.

Mr Twumasi Ankrah Selby, Chief Director of Planning, Ministry of Transport, who inaugurated the equipment said the Ministry will soon present a petition to Parliament for approval to allow revenue from the Airport Passenger Service Charge (APSC) be given to GACL for the development of airport infrastructure.

Mrs Doreen Owusu-Fianko, Managing Director of GACL, expressed the hope that Parliament will allow all or a large portion of the APSC revenue for GACL.

Mrs Tosan Woode, Chairperson, Board of airline representatives and Head of Sales and Marketing, Virgin Atlantic Airways, said the airlines are pleased with the partnership with SITA to provide the technology, saying it will in addition to improving customer experience allow due diligence especially in

So far, 10 CUSS check-in kiosks have been installed and are currently being used by passengers of SKY Team airlines: Delta, Air Namibia, Ethiopian Airlines and Brussels airlines.

Government settles all ticket claims of Ghana International Airlines Limited GIAL passengers

Accra-Ghana – The government has settled all validated claims for refund of passengers and travellers who purchased tickets but could not travel on the defunct Ghana International Airlines Limited (GIAL).

    

A statement issued by the Ministry of Transport in Accra on Monday said the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, under the directive of President John Evans Atta Mills, had released GH¢1,306,077.89 for the settlement of the remaining validated claims.

    

“A directive to that effect, signed by Dr Kwabena Duffour, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, on March 18, 2011, authorised the Controller and Accountant General to release the amount to enable the Ministry of Transport to pay validated outstanding refund to Travel and Tour Operators for onward payment of the cost of ticket to the affected passengers,” the statement signed by Mr Kweku Sersah-Johnson, Public Affairs Director, said.

    

Since GIAL ceased operations in May last year, stranded passengers in and out of Ghana who did not benefit from Government’s initial refund packages have been demonstrating especially at the Ghana High Commission in London demanding their refund.

    

The statement said GH¢ 3,664,099.81 had so far been released to meet the refund of all claims validated by the Interim Management Committee set up by the Ministry of Transport to handle the exercise.

    

“All the claims of about 2,600 passengers have been met as well as payments by Government to other Airlines which were contracted to transport some of the stranded passengers to their various destinations in the wake of the end of the operations of the GIAL.

    

“With this recent release…the Ministry of transport is of the hope that all outstanding validated claims would have been covered and/or catered for and that this should bring to an end all attendant agitations,” the statement said.

    

Three former Ministers and a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of New Patriotic Party (NPP) appeared in court in March last year charged with various counts for the various roles they played in the formation of GIAL and subsequent liquidation of the national carrier, Ghana Airways.

    

The four are Richard Anane, former Minister of Transport, Anthony Akoto Osei, former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Kwadwo Okyere Mpiani, former Chief of Staff and Samuel Crabbe, former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of NPP.

    

The four have been charged with stealing, causing financial loss to the State, fraud and deceit of public officer, regarding the roles they played in the formation of GIAL and the subsequent liquidation of Ghana Airways.

     

Five others were expected to appear with them but they were not present in court. They are Mr Ralf Atkins, Kirk Heaton, Albert Vitali and Brain Brisby, all Former Directors of GIAL and Professor Gyan Baffour, former Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

    

Anane and Crabbe, who is also President of Unger Oaks Limited, minority shareholders of the GIAL, have been additionally charged with wilfully causing financial loss to the State to the tune of $4.9 million.

    

Akoto Osei was also charged with six additional counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the State, fraud and deceit of public officer.

    

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to self- recognizance bail of GH¢ 300,000 each.

GNA

Arik Air all set for expanding flights to West African connections!

Nigerian carrier Arik Air is set for a huge expansion of West African regional routes connecting into its hub at Lagos next month.
The carrier has been operating a daily Heathrow-Lagos service since 2008 and started regional West African flights to Ghana the same year.
It now serves six West African destinations outside Nigeria, but from the end of March that is set to more than double as up to new regional routes could be added.
The West Africa destinations under consideration are Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, Malabo in Equitorial Guinea, Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, Libreville in Gabon, Douala in Cameroon, Bamako in Mali, Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Conakry in Guinea and Luanda in Angola.

Luanda is the only destination served by a direct flight from the UK and Arik Air will offer an alternative to transferring via Paris, Amsterdam or Brussels for the others.

UK sales manager Simon Cook said business travellers would be the key target market as many of the destinations were in countries were oil and other industries were developing. However there could also be a significant friends and relatives market.

Arik Air operates the Heathrow-Lagos route with a A340-500 including a Business First cabin with 36 lie-flat seats as well as a bar and lounge area. It claims the long-haul service is comparable or better to BA or Virgin Atlantic. The domestic flights will use 737-800s.

Cook said the airline still had to increase awareness in the UK market but passengers numbers on the Heathrow-Lagos route were rising as customers saw the product and realised Arik Air was using more modern aircraft than competitors on the route.

Arik Air is also looking at adding a Lagos-Houston route as well as services to Istanbul and Jeddah from its other hub in Abuja.