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Dedicated cruise vessel for Takoradi Port
The Takoradi Port is set to establish a dedicated cruise ship terminal to promote tourism within Ghana’s maritime domain, the Port Director, Peter Amo-Bediako, has hinted.
“This year, under the auspices of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), we anticipate receiving proposals for developing a cruise ship or passenger terminal through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement,” he explained.
Mr Amo-Bediako announced this at a press soiree on Monday.
The initiative, he explained, was consistent with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA’s) strategic vision to enhance tourism and maritime connectivity within Ghana.
Already, he reported that, cruise or passenger ship calls recorded a 100 per cent growth, increasing from seven cruise vessel calls, at the end of November 2023, to 14 cruise vessel calls, at the end of November 2024.
Mr Amo-Bediako told the journalists that, in June 2024, the Elmina Port was handed over to GPHA and placed under Takoradi Port, and that was the first time a cruise vessel anchored at Elmina.
He said the facilitators of the tourist vessel anticipates bringing into Ghana another vessel for the same purpose.
“We expect to collaborate with GTA as to how to build the terminal to meet the growing tourists’ interest in Ghana and we’ll see how best this come to fruition,” Mr Amo-Bediako said.
He added “These achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to operational excellence and customer satisfaction, but also, most importantly, they reflect the positive brand image generated by the professional coverage and reportage by you and the media”
On health, the Takoradi Port Director spoke about the opening of the GPHA Medical Diagnostic Centre in April 2024, following a commitment made in 2023.
The GPHA’s state-of-the-art Medical Diagnostic Centre, according to Mr Amo- Bediako, now delivers exceptional healthcare services to the port community and the wider population.
He indicated that GPHA would this year, procure a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, adding that, research showed that, there was no MRI in Western North, Western and Central Regions, and so, patients need to travel all the way to Accra, for such services.