TOURISM DEVELOPMENT POLICY VERSUS PRACTICE IN GHANA: THE CASE OF LAKE BOSOMTWE BASIN

The Ghana Tourism Development Policy of 2006 was developed as the basis for accelerated tourism development in the country. The policy’s objective is to provide high-quality visitor experiences that are profitable to destinations stakeholders while ensuring that the destinations are not compromised in terms of their environmental, social, and cultural integrity. This study investigates whether tourism development in the Lake Bosomtwe Basin is proceeding in accord with the tenets of the policy. The evidence shows that there is a wide gap between policy and practice. Tourism development is ad hoc, haphazard and seemingly unsustainable. Tourism activities have weak linkages to other sectors of the local economy. Water, drainage and sewer systems of established tourism facilities have not been streamlined into respective receptacles nor integrated into local community systems, resulting in improper disposal of wastes. Despite these shortcomings there are benefits such as increased tourist arrivals; new income generating activities; creation of jobs; development of local infrastructure; and diversification of agriculture. The conclusion is that if tourism (unlike primary exports promotion; and industrialization) is to succeed as a development option for Ghana, planning, developing and regulating the sector (presently largely ad hoc and exclusionary) should be controlled and should include destination communities