The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has welcomed a proposed non-binding Statement of Intent between Ghana and Austria, describing it as a key step toward a formal Memorandum of Understanding to deepen cooperation in tourism, culture and the creative arts.
Receiving the Austrian delegation at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Minister underscored Ghana’s commitment to cultural diplomacy and identified priority areas for collaboration, including gastronomy, music, dance and the wider creative economy. She also outlined investment opportunities in tourism and hospitality, such as the establishment of a world-class hospitality school and the development of large-scale infrastructure to support Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, noting Ghana’s readiness to facilitate partnerships through public-private partnerships and build-operate-transfer models.
The delegation was led by the State Secretary at Austria’s Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, H.E. Josef Schellhorn, accompanied by the Austrian Ambassador to Ghana, Jürgen Heissel. Mr. Schellhorn said both countries had agreed in principle to establish a scholarship exchange programme that would enable participants to spend one year in each country, strengthening institutional ties and people-to-people cooperation.
He also highlighted the recent opening of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Accra, explaining that the initiative is designed as a collaborative platform, rather than a physical structure, to connect with Ghanaian institutions in academia, science, fine arts, sculpture, textiles and other creative fields. According to him, arts and culture remain central to Austrian diplomacy as effective tools for dialogue and bridge-building.
On tourism, H.E. Schellhorn noted Austria’s strong performance, citing approximately 150 million overnight stays annually, and expressed readiness to share expertise in hospitality management, tourism education and destination branding. He referenced past scholarship opportunities for Ghanaian students at Austrian tourism schools and disclosed plans to deploy Austrian teachers and experts to support local training.
He further emphasised the importance of clear destination identity, accessibility, culinary branding and strong connectivity in attracting visitors, adding that Austria’s focus on positioning itself as a culinary nation has significantly enhanced its tourism appeal.
Officials present included the Chief Director of MoTCCA, Mr. Joseph Kwasi Amoah, the Director for Tourism, Dr. Jeoffrey Tamakloe, the Director for Culture and Creative Arts, Mr. Divine Owusu Ansah, and Dr. Alphonse Kumazah.