The Minister Designate for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Honorable Andrew Egyapa Mercer has lamented over the potential impact of the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill by Parliament, popularly referred to as the Anti-Gay Bill on Ghana’s tourism industry when the bill is assented into law by President Akufo-Addo.
The Member of Parliament for Sekondi Constituency, commenting on the passage of the bill by Parliament during his vetting on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, emphasized the need for the country to strategically promote Ghana’s culture within the legal framework to attract visitors while acknowledging the diversity of opinions on the matter.
According to Lawyer Egyapa Mercer, there is a need for a balanced approach to marketing the country, taking into account the diverse perspectives on lifestyle and culture among people across the world.
“I still have not figured out an answer, but all I can say is that it definitely will have an impact one way or the other. Some people who believe that lifestyle should be allowed everywhere may find Ghana not an attractive place, and some people who believe in our culture may find Ghana an attractive place. It all comes down to how we market Ghana and what it is that we offer to the world”.
Lawyer Andrew Egyapa Mercer
The Minister Designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture further stressed the importance of effectively positioning Ghana on the global stage, regardless of the stance on certain lifestyles.
He stated that marketing the country’s unique cultural attributes would play a pivotal role in attracting tourists and maintaining a positive image internationally.
Exploring Measures To Boost Local Tourism Amidst Anti-Gay Bill Passage
Furthermore, Lawyer Egyapa Mercer called for urgent measures to explore local tourism and indicated that such initiatives would go a long way to help the country benefit from local tourism to compensate for any negative perceptions that may arise due to the passage of the Anti-Gay Bill.
The Minister Designate for Tourism, Arts, and Culture comment further suggest a nuanced approach to the potential implications of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill passed by Parliament.
He emphasized the importance of Ghana considering the diverse perspectives among different groups of people in the world and also called for a strategic approach to tourism promotion in the country.
Meanwhile, Professor Lord Mensah, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), reacting to the concerns over the potential long-term costs of the passage of the Anti-Gay Bill, which is estimated to cost the country approximately 3.8 billion dollars if assented to law by President Akufo-Addo according to the Ministry of Finance, bemoaned the danger of the act to the country’s social and moral values.
Professor Lord Mensah voiced his apprehensions about the bill’s potential long-term costs outweighing the short-term economic benefits and emphasized that sacrificing the country’s core values in exchange for financial gain is a dehumanizing proposition.
“I don’t understand why somebody should come and tell me to go and marry a man and then a woman should marry another woman. Or a man should marry a tree or a woman should marry an animal before you can give me money to rescue my economy”.
Professor Lord Mensah
Professor Lord Mensah thus called for the need for the government to adopt prudent approaches and strategies in the management of the country’s economy rather than focusing on the amount of money it would lose when the bill is assented into law by President Akufo-Addo.
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