The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister of Ghana Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku said in an address at the Master Class of the 2018 Mediterranean Tourism Forum in Malta that Ghana has officially announced itself as center of the world.Published on : Wednesday, March 7, 2018
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister of Ghana Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku said in an address at the Master Class of the 2018 Mediterranean Tourism Forum in Malta that Ghana has officially announced itself as center of the world.
The minister’s address at the Malta forum this week is the first time that Ghana has formally placed its claim among the pivotal players in the tourism world, namely the over 20 countries of the Mediterranean region.
Among the minister’s audience were representatives of nations of the Southern European Coast, including Greece, Turkey, France, Gibraltar, Monaco, Italy and Malta; the Levantine Coast including Cyprus and Israel and the North Africa sub-region, including Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Libya.
The Mediterranean Tourism Forum brings together public and private sector stakeholders from various countries with an interest in tourism.
“The question of which country is the centre of the world was settled more than 200 years ago when some 25 nations met in Washington D. C., USA., for the International Meridian Conference in October 1884 to adopt a single Meridian to replace the numerous ones already in use. In Ghana, the line enters the sea and does not touch any other solid surface till it reaches Antarctica, the southernmost continent and the South Pole. Fortunately, nature has, on her part, provided Ghana with an enduring landmark close to the seashore at Tema where the Zero Line of Longitude exits in the form of a small rock known as the Greenwich Rock. Almost a century ago, sailors stopped work to observe some rituals when their ships crossed the Zero Line,” Afeku said.
The minister’s statement was instantly welcomed by various countries, officials and individuals. The Chief Executive of Malta Tourism Authority, Mr. Paul Bugega, acknowledged Ghana’s position and told the audience that “with this information by the Ghanaian Minister, I will revise my notes accordingly.”
An international tourism consultant confirmed that Ghana’s claim was irrefutable. Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malta, Mrs Mercy Bampoe Addo was also present at the occasion.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also been signed with the Tema Meridian Presbyterian Church, which is located directly on the Greenwich Meridian, for developing faith-based tourism. Another MoU will be signed with Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) for developing cruise business.
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