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Visions in Leisure and Business

Volume 14 Number 2 Article 3

1995

An Integrated Development Project: The of

William C. Gartner University of Minnesota

Donald Jackson

Charles Hutchinson

Vera Hyatt

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Recommended Citation Gartner, William C.; Jackson, Donald; Hutchinson, Charles; and Hyatt, Vera (1995) "An Integrated Tourism Development Project: The Central Region of Ghana," Visions in Leisure and Business: Vol. 14 : No. 2 , Article 3. Available at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/visions/vol14/iss2/3

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Visions in Leisure and Business by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@BGSU. AN INTEGRATED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: THE CENTRAL REGION OF GHANA

BY

DR. WILLIAMC. GARTNER, PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR

TOURISM CENTER 116 COB UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 55108

DR. DONALD JACKSON, GHANA PROJECT TEAM LEADER

MIDWESTERNUNIVERSI TIES CONSORTIUM FOR INTERNATIONALACTIVITIES 66 EAST 15TH A VENUE COLUMBUS, OHIO 43201

MR. CHARLES HUTCHINSON,IN-COUNTRY RESIDENT MANAGER

MUCIA GHANA P.O. BOX 1630 E45/3 INDEPENDENCEA VENUE , GHANA

AND

DR. VERA HYATT, PROJECT DIRECTOR

INTERNATIONALGALLERY SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION S. DILLONRIPLEY CENTER, SUITE 3123 WASHINGTON,D.C. 20560

ABSTRACT markets for export goods most growth has been short lived. Since 1990 economic The Republic of Ghana is located in West growth has accelerated and the country is approximately 750 kilometers north currently governed by an elected President of the equator. As a country it has gone and Parliament. One of the main economic through a series of economic cycles but due development strategies in the last five years to numerous coups, misguided economic has been tourism. policies, and the vagaries of international

13 This paper describes a tourism development Tourism arrivals average less than 250,000 project that has been in place, in one of per annum. Much of this is made up of Ghana's political regions, since the early business travelers. By some accounts 1990's. What makes it unique is that pleasure travel constitutes less than ten funding was obtained in numerous ways percent of all arrivals. The absence of a including blocked currency transactions (a tourism industry of note in the country is form of debt swap), a multi-disciplinary, due more to historical, political, and integrated approach to project imple­ economic problems ratherthan from lack of mentation, and a focus on tourism as the trying. Due to numerous coups, failed and lead sector. The project involves renovation successful, economic development, includ­ of three fortifications significant as the first ing tourism, has been constantly retarded European settlements in and (5). However since 1981 when the last coup key to the Africa diaspora to the New occurred there has been relative political World, and the preservation and stability. Currently an elected President and development for touristic purposes of a Parliament govern the country with the last forested area now designated as a National election held in 1992. Park. Two supporting activities include interpretive services that strengthen newly Political stability, and the adoption of created museums at one of the fortifications International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the National Park, and tourism guidelines have had a positive impact on promotion, planning, and marketing services many types of economic development which are intended to increase awareness of including tourism. Accra, the , the tourism products and build the has in the past six years seen the devel­ institutional capacity for long term opment of four and five star hotels, monitoring and development of the region's rehabilitation and modernization of trans­ touristic resources. portation and telecommunication systems (although relatively underdeveloped and unreliable compared to those found in the INTRODUCTION developed world), as well as the construction of an ultra modem 1600 seat The Republic of Ghana is located on the capacity internationalconference center. West Coast of Africa approximately 750 kilometers north of the Equator. Being a Tourism, as an industry, has been declared a tropical country average temperatures range prioritysector for economic development by between 21-32° C with rainfall in the south the government. Under a new medium term averaging 2.030 mm annually. Southern national tourism development plan lands stretch from the Coastal Plains, with institutional and policy measures are being elevations rarely exceeding 200 meters, to put in place to make tourism an international the tropicalforest belt. Northernregions are competitive industry and a major hard drier with Savannah type vegetation currency earner for Ghana. Among the key predominant. Population is estimated at measures are: over 15 million people with the majority concentrated in the southern and central Encouragement of a lead role for the parts of the country. private sector, divestiture of government owned hotels and other

14 properties and, reform of the tourism One of these is the existence of a 360 square administrationsystem. kilometer tract of tropical forest, known as Kakum, which has experienced only slight Against this background most of the abuse fromloggers and professional hunters. country's regions (similar to states or Within its borders live the endangered provinces) are also beginning to take Forest Elephant and as well as measures and position themselves for several other rare and endangered species of economic development activities led by the both flora and fauna. One of CEDECOM's tourism sector. The CentralRegion, one of first acts was to petition the National Ghana's ten political and administrative Government to set aside Kakum as a regions,with its capital in the historic city of national preserve. The National Parliament CapeCoast, is currentlythe focusof a major agreed to the petition and all logging and tourism development initiative. The rest of most hunting has ceased. In 1992 the status this paper discusses the evolution of that of Kakum changed froma National Preserve initiative. to a National Park.

The second attraction consists of a group of BACKGROUND centuries old European fortifications (forts and castles) along the coast. Of the 32 The origins of the initiative go back to remaining European fortifications on the approximately the fall of 1988, when the West Coast of Africa, 26 are in Ghana and was beginning to 22 are in the Central Region. Three of decentralize its bureaucracy, thereby giving these-- Castle, the site of the first more autonomy to the Regional Secretaries European settlement in West Africa (1482), (governors) of the country's various regions. Castle, and Fort St. Jago--are in The Central Region was one of the first relatively good repair and have been regions to respond by establishing the targeted for renovation by the project. All Central Region Development Commission three are on the "World Heritage List" of (CEDECOM) complete with a professional significant historical buildings. staffand Boardof Directors. CEDECOM, with its Board's guidance, The mandate of CEDECOM was to develop designed an all encompassing Central a strategy for the development of the Central Region Integrated Development Project Region and its people. In analyzing the (CERIDEP), which included components strengths of the region, the Board chose for tourism, , tourism development as the strategywith the renovation and use of the castles and fort, greatest potential of success. The Central improvements in the Regional infra­ Region is not only favored with some of the structure, and support for small business few protected, white sand beaches on the development. A subsidiary of the com­ West Coast of Africa which coupled with rmss10n is the Tourism Development low annual rainfall along the coast could Scheme for the Central Region (TODSCER) attract tourists, but also contains two other which is responsible for planning and tourist attractions with very high potential coordinating all tourism development for initiatingdevelo pment. activities under CERIDEP. Its admin-

15 istrative structure is consistent with Ghana's an appropriate candidate to lead and long history of grassroots initiatives driven coordinate the design and implementationof by village decision-making and local the project due to its reputation in dealing participation (4). With a fixed strategy and with development assistance projects plan of action developed, CEDECOM overseas. approached a number of donor agencies to help fund the various components. The It was agreed that MUCIA would organize a United Nations Development Program project proposal team to visit the Central (UNDP), was the first to respond with a Region. The University of Minnesota's multifaceted, U.S. $ 5.4 million project Tourism Center was asked to provide two supporting parts of the tourism, park, castles experts, one in tourism marketing and and fort, urban infrastructure, and small promotion, and the other in park business components. Their portion of the management. The MUCIA universities had project began in January of 1989 and ended recently formed an ad hoc committee on . in June 1993. A second phase of the UNDP tourism which further strengthened the tie project is currentlybeing implemented. between the growing concept of a tourism projectand MUCIA. CEDECOM also approached the Agency for International Develop­ Also contacted by the delegation were ment (USAID) representative in Accra for Conservation International (Cl) to assist in assistance. USAID expressed interest the development of the park, the U.S. especially if their contribution could be Committee of the International Council on leveraged through a "debt for development" Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS) to currency transaction. At that time, the assist in the restoration process of the castles Mission thought it would have approx­ and fort, and the Smithsonian Institution imately U.S. $ 1.5 million available to the (SI) to assist in the development of a West project over a three year period for both a African historical museum. "debt swap" and U.S. Technical assistance. At that point it was proposed that a By the end of the delegation's stay in delegation of Ghanaian professionalsbe sent Washington, USAID had agreed to fund the to Washington to sell the CERIDEP concept travel expenses to Ghana of representatives to USAID, as well as to contact several U.S. from the various organizations contacted if organizations which could potentially be the organizations would contribute staff involved in the implementation of a future time. In April 1990, a team of six arrived in project. the Central Region. Each team member performed a planning exercise with his or One of the first organizations contacted was her counterpart in an attempt to identify the Debt for Development Coalition (DOC) which needs were currently being met by which was, at that time, receiving financial the UNDP project and which could be supportfrom AID. Because of its work with addressed in the USAID/MUCIA project. "debt for development" transactions in the Based on these initial estimates a draft Dominican Republic, the DDC contacted the proposal was submitted to the USAID Midwestern Consortium for International Mission and circulated throughout the Activities (MUCIA) Executive Office to see Africa Bureau of USAID in Washington. if they had any expertise to add to the case Through this iterative process, the number in Gh�a. MUCIA was also considered as of supporters of the project increased as did

16 the funding level and duration of the project. critical conservation zones and com­ The final proposal agreed to by USAID was mitments to natural resource protection for U.S. $ 5.6 million to cover a period of activities were obtained from borrower fiveyears. nations in exchange for a buydown of the foreign debt ( 1). When borrower nations are unable to come up with local currency THE DEBT SWAP for development projects equity swaps take on much greater importance. Most debt Debt swap, debt conversion or debt swaps have been limited to private debt as exchange refers to the practice of lenders or official debt has not generally been offered creditors routinely buying, selling or at a discount or forequity purchase. swapping loans on the "secondary" or resale market, at a discount. "Debt for develop­ In 1990 the DDC began to identify debt ment has become the accepted terminology owed by the Ghanaian government and to describe not-for-profit organization's use whose holders would be willing to sell to of debt swaps to achieve international MUCIA at a discount. After an exhaustive development assistance objectives. search, the DOC came to the conclusion that since Ghana had been doing such a goodjob Loans to developing countries come in three of meeting its debt obligations, no sellers types. If the originator of the loan is a could be found. The DOC and the. Ghana commercial bank in an industrialized Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning country then private debt is created. When then conceived the idea of attempting to governments lend other governments money leverage "blocked" currency from transac­ the debt is termed bilateral official debt. tional companies with subsidiaries in Ghana. Finally loans from international financial Blockedcurrency are those amounts which a institutionssuch as the World Bank result in subsidiary has attempted to convert to multilateral official debt. Official debt foreign currency for payment to the parent (bilateral and multilateral) is estimated to be company but for a variety of reasons, over $450 billion or almost twice ($230 including government of Ghana foreign billion) that of private debt. Most debt of exchange regulations, has not been able to sub-Saharan African countries is official do so. The currency is therefore considered debt (6). "blocked". To make the deal more attrac­ tive, the Ghanaian government also agreed Since most international development to provide a 50 percent corporate tax credit projects require some local currency for in­ to any company participating in the country work, private debt can be purchased transaction. from the commercial bank. This usually occurs at a steep discount and is swapped To date, only Shell Oil Company of Ghana with the borrower nation for an amount of has chosen to participate in the program. In local currency equal to the face value of the this case, for a payment of U. S. $ 250,000 foreign currency debt that is being retired. by MUCIA to the Shell Oil Company of Variations on this approach include debt London, Shell Oil of Ghana paid MUCIA equity swaps where land or buildings are the equivalent in local currency of U.S. $ exchanged instead of conversion to local 1.0 million, to use in the project. Ghana's currency. Conservation organizations were expanding economy, combined with greatly the leaders in this type of debt swap as many liberalized government regulations con-

17 cerningforeign investment, have takenaway swap/blocked currency transactions to hirea much of the incentive to enter into blocked long-term advisor. currency transactions. Realizing this situation, the USAID Mission recently agreed to add approximately $3.4 million in THE PROJECT'S ACTIVITIESIN additional program funds. (for a more in SUMMARY FORM depth discussion of the various financial options employed to secure funding for the The project has two principal components, project the reader is referred to: Gartner, the park and the castles and fort, with two Agbley and Koth, 1993). additional components which support the first two, tourismpromotion and interpretive services. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT Conservation International is the subcon­ tractor responsible for assisting CEDECOM A formal signing ceremony was held in the in the development of the parkand their first Capital building in Washington in Septem­ activity was to establish an operational plan ber 1991, in which the Ghanaian for its creation. This included assessments Ambassador, representatives from USAID, of the wildlife, water resources, forest MUCIA and its four sub-contractors, and resources, and human commumnes the DOC participated. Activity under the surrounding the park. A park planner was project began in April 1992 with repre­ resident in Kakum for two years to sentatives of the Project Consortium coordinate this effort. Additionally, CI (MUCIA, CI, SI, and US/ICOMOS) meet­ assists in the training of park guards and ing with their counterparts in both Accra guides, is selectively developing parts of the and the Central Region to plan the next parkfor tourist viewing including a recently year's project activities. During this visit a completed 400 meter long forest canopy formal televised ceremony inaugurating the walkway, the first of its kind in Africa, and project was held between the Ministry of is establishing a trust fund for the park's Finance and Economic Planning, futuremaintenance. CEDECOM, USAID, and MUCIA. US/ICOMOS is the sub-contractor respon­ As originally conceived, the USAID's sible for the restoration of the castles and involvement in the project was planned to fort. Their acnv1nes began with be no more than U.S. _$ 1.5 million, an preservation studies and planning, including insufficient sum to require the presence of a archival research in . This then led long-term project manager. Rather, it was to stabilization and restoration and the decided that a MUCIA Project Coordinator eventual establishment of a . second trust would work one-third time on the project fund for futuremaintenance. visiting Ghana four times per year. However, as the project's value and The Smithsonian Institution is in charge of complexity increased, it became obvious the interpretive services component of the that the proposed form of project man­ project which includes training in a agement would not be successful. MUCIA multitude of subjects from graphic design to therefore petitioned the Mission to use a cabinet making and the training of ..the portion of the monies reserved for the debt docents who are to be employed at the

18 castles and fort and at the park. amphibian species and probably a quarter Additionally, SI is responsible for a cultural million species of insects. inventory of the Central Region which formed the basis for the establishment of a Ghana's forestzone contains the easternfifth West African historical museum in Cape up the Upper Guinean rain forest block. Coast Castle. From Ghana the forest extends west along the Atlantic coast of Africa through Cote The University of Minnesota is the sub­ d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This contractor for the tourism promotion West African forest, as a whole, is one of component of the project. Activities have the most diverse ecosystems on the been undertaken with the intent of; continent; it is also among the most highly establishing a tourism data base, training of altered by humans. It is this combination of Ghana TouristBoard and private sector tour high levels of biodiversity and endemism operator personnel, arrangingfamiliarization with extreme threat that results in the tours, and preparing tourist brochures and classification of this forest block among literature. fifteen global "hotspots" for conservation. The concept of hotspots is used by CI to set The MUCIA Executive Office provides global priorities for conservationactivities. overall project management and coord­ ination. The next section will detail some of As a national park, Kakum's primary the sub-contractors' efforts. mission is clear: to conserve biodiversity, habitats, natural systems, and functions. Yet, Kakum is also the only national park in CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL Ghana created through a local initiative. The goal of these local supporters, and the Conservation Intemational's Ghana Program rationale for the park's creation, is to is presently focusedon a single project site-­ develop it as a tourist attraction. In Kakum National Park. Located 20 addition, Kakum's management plan (in kilometers north of the seaside town of Cape progress) identifies two other important Coast in Ghana's Central Region, Kakum goals of the park: education and research. National Park and the adjacent Attandaso Wildlife Preserve Area cover 360 CI is providing technical assistance for square kilometers of tropical moist forest. planning and development for Kalcum. The In 1932 Kalcum was declared a forest goal for the conservation area is to have it reserve and managed for much of the last serve as a model for integrated conservation fiftyyears for timber extraction. and economic development throughout West Africa by using innovative conservation In 1992, Kakum and Assin Attandaso were approaches pioneered by Cl. These include redesignated as a national park and game a strong foundation in science (biodiversity reserve from existing forest reserves by the surveys and monitoring as well as studies of same names. Both contain important bio­ human use of natural resources), sustainable logical assets: forest elephants, bongo, economic development (ecotourism and yellow-backed duiker, and diana monkeys-­ developing markets for traditional and · all globally endangered--as well as an nontraditional forest products), and innova­ estimated 550 butterfly species, 250 species tive financial mechanisms (endowment of birds, 100 mammals, reptiles, and funding and small business loans). CI also

19 provides assistance in the area of park substantial financial support provided by planning--including the design and USAID and Cl, Kakum provides the first constructionof park and visitor facilitiesand opportunity for a Ghanaian park to fulfillits the establishment of a geographic inform­ potential. ation system to integrate and analyze data essential to park planning. To do that, Kakum's natural and cultural resources must be interpreted to two critical Central to all Cl's project activities is the audiences: international tourists, who can development of local conservation capacity. provide the financial engine for regional This means that each activity includes development and ongoing protection and providing some training to the Ghanaians, management, and Ghanaian v1s1tors-­ thereby enhancing the nation's capacity to especially young people--who will receive implement conservation projects inde­ and internalizethe conservation message. pendently in the future.

As the first protected area in Ghana to SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION receive major support for building roads, visitor facilities, and other infrastructure, The Smithsonian's contribution to the Kakum National Park has the potential to set Central Region Integrated Development a standard for all future design and Project of Ghana is to provide technical development of Ghanaian protected areas-­ training for Ghanaians in the development much as Yosemite National Park has served of interpretive and outreachprograms, based as an icon for U.S. national parks. If met, on exhibitions to be presented in the region's that potential will redefine the image of museums. These· exhibitions address protected areas, and of conservation itself, Ghana's richnatural resources to be found in throughoutGhana. the Kakum tropical forest; and the fascinatingculture and history of the Central In the past, Ghana's Department of Wildlife region; including the important role the never receivedsufficient funding to develop monuments (forts and castles) played in the substantial infrastructure within its parks. colonial era's gold and slave trade. Operating budgets for parks were small, providing only the bare minimum needed The first natural history exhibition opened for management and protection. Because on March 5, 1994, by the President of protected areas have been perceived as Ghana, is located in the Visitor's Center at providing largely intangible benefits (biodi­ Kakum National Park. Presented in this versity, watershed, and climatic protection), exhibition are a display of butterflies and a investing in them has been a low priority in collection of bones of megafauna and a country, like Ghana, with many other minifauna, representatives of the unique pressingneeds. ecosystem of the Kakum forest. Also presented at the Kakum Visitor's Center is a CI. believes that Kakum has provided the museum shop offering items of relevance to opportunity to recast the image of the forest. conservation in Ghana, demonstrating the financial, physical, and cultural benefits that Working with a content committee of conservation can provide. Thanks to the Ghanaian scholars exhibition scripts have interest in this project within Ghana and the been developed which provide the basis for

20 this important work. A team of Ghanaian west to the Americas. There is no doubt museum professionals have been trained, by however as to the importance of these sites the Smithsonian, in various aspects of in the African diaspora to the new world. museology · and produced the exhibition Although the exact number will never be "Crossroads of People, Crossroads of Trade" known it is estimated that millions of which opened in December, 1994, in the Africans were imprisoned in the Castles and CapeCoast Castle museum, to coincide with eventually sold as slave cargo to be shipped Panafest, the largest West African cultural to the New World. Although the three festival. Accompanying the exhibitionis an selected monuments are in relatively good orientation video of the same title, produced shape compared to some of the other by a Ohanian cinematographer, which monuments found on the West African coast provides a historical and cultural context in they are in need of stabilization and which to view the exhibition. restoration if they are to contain museums interpreting the European/African history The Smithsonian's expertise and con­ and serve as touristsites. tribution in the areas of cultural conservation and museum based public The restoration project involves reviewing education complements that of the three historic data to determine the appropriate other U.S. not-for-profit organizations time period to be represented through the collaborating in this tourism based Central restoration. With the monuments in Region Development Project. This constant use by numerous European states collaborative strategy is particularly throughout their history many different noteworthy as it enables four U.S. based architectural styles are present. The first cultural, scientific, conservation and year of the project was spent reviewing economic development organizations, which. historical data and selecting appropriate seek to strengthen their ties to Ghana, to material to be used in the restoration effort. work together in a meaningful way on this There are also competing uses of the sites important integrateddevelopment project. which have to be considered. Since the sites have been relatively unprotected for many years incompatible uses such as the United States/International Council on conversion of a yard in to Monuments and Sites a prison, informal latrine area directly outside the ocean front walls, construction As previously mentioned, Elmina and Cape of fish smoking ovens directly next to some Coast Castles and Fort St. Jago are included of the sites, and storage of fishing nets on the World Heritage List of cultural sites. against the walls of the Castles had to be These monuments represent the European dealt with along with the technical aspects entrance into West Africa and have been of reconstruction. Much of the work is used by Europeans for various purposes proceeding on schedule. There have been from the mid 1400's through the mid 1900's. noticeable changes to the exterior of Cape Supposedly Columbus was a trainee Coast and Elmina Castles and as previously navigator at and stopped at mentioned a museum opened in Cape Coast Elmina to take on supplies before heading Castle in time for Panafest in December of 1994.

21 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA their expenditures throughout the country. -(For a detailed explanation on how this is The University of Minnesota, through the being done see Gartner, 1995). Minnesota Extension Service's Tourism Center, is in charge of tourism planning, Due in large part to project activity new, promotion and marketing. When the project international standard, lodging accom­ team first visited Ghana it was apparent that modations are in the process of being built numerous tourism development attempts in the Central Region. Since the next few had occurred over the years. The most years will see more touristic activity and successful of those took place in the 1970's tourism development in the Central Region and was fueled by export earnings from work components have been initiated to Cocoa. Because government had control track tourist flows and to identify cultural over much of the Cocoa earnings it was indicators which are to be monitored for inevitable that government would also own change over time. Many negative articles and operate many of the tourism facilities have been written blaming unchecked (i.e. hotels and restaurants). Due to political tourism development for cultural and instability, as identifiedby Teye (5), and the environmental degradation. While in some drop in export earnings from a reduction in cases there is no doubt unchecked develop­ world demand for Cocoa many of the ment has led to negative consequences the properties were neglected and consequently monitoring program currently being deteriorated into a relatively useless state. developed will allow local people to In the Central Region in 1989 there were measure and address cultural change as a less than ten rooms which could be result of tourism development before it considered international class. Due to the overwhelms the socio-cultural system relatively low level of tourism development currentlyexisting. existingin the CentralRegion at the time the project began it was decided that initial The main objective driving the tourism efforts would be spent on building the component is to keep promotion and institutional capacity of the Ghana Tourist marketing activities in line with stages of Board, primarily through training programs, development. That is the reason the first and the organization of the private sector two years of the project were spent on through training and innovative grant building the institutional capability of the programs. These efforts have been Central Region Ghana Tourist Board and relatively successful as there now exists a organizing and training private sector National Tourism federation made up of entities. As development accelerates more tourism dependent private businesses with attention is given to increasing travel flows regional organizations primarily supporting to the area. Initially, because international special interests (e.g. Central Region standard facilities are still in short supply, Hoteliers Association). Organizational special interest groups (e.g. birdwatchers) efforts are supported through an annual arebeing targeted. TourismConference which is a private/pub­ lic partnership with educational programs presented by local experts and international CONCLUSIONS consultants. Another major effort is the development of a National Information Is this project a tourism development suc­ System intended to track visitor flows and cess story? Obviously that question will

22 only be answered after the project Ghana and Ghana's tourism dependent consortium has completed its work and private sector are expected to assume more when Ghanaians assume full control over controlover the development process. It has the resources, planning, and promotion always been the intent of the expatriates on activities. At the present time the project this project to prepare Ghanaians to assume must be considered a success as it has been complete control over the resources that able to utilize the expertise of four form the backbone of this project. Through recognized U.S. based subcontractors, training programs leading to· institutional working in cooperation with their Ghanaian capacity building and the strengthening of colleagues, to develop a package of the private sector the original project goal is attractions with highly significant cultural approaching reality. The Ghanaians and natural importance. Although there involved in this project conceived it, have been periodic differences of opinion obtained donor support for it and are in a among subcontractors and between the position to make it fully operational. The Consotrium and Ghanaian government systems put in place by the Consortiumwere departments the project has continued to intended to allow our Ghanaian colleagues forgeahead with the complete supportof the to function more efficiently. By all government of Ghana and USAID. In the accounts that has happened and to date the latter half of the project the government of projectmust be considered a success.

REFERENCES

1. Conservation International, The Debt-for-Nature Exchanf:e; A Tool for International Conservation, ConservationInternational, Washington, D.C., pp. 43, 1989. 2. W. Gartner, Development of a National Tourism Information System: Case Study in Ghana, Proceedin�s of the 4th World Confm

3. W. Gartner, K. Agbley, and B. Koth, Financing Tourism Development in Ghana: A Natural Resources Conservationand Historic PreservationProject in the Central Region, Presented at the First International Conference for Investments and Financinf: in the Tourism Industty, Jerusalem,Isreal, May 1993.

4. A. R. G. Prosser, Community development: The British Experience, Promss in Rural Extension andCo mmunityD evelopment.V ol. 1, Eds. G. Jones and M. Rolls, Wiley, New York, pp. 233-247, 1982.

5. V. Teye, Coups D'etat and African Tourism: A Study of Ghana, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 15, pp. 329-356, 1988. 6. W. White, Debet-for-Development Conversions and the University Role, Whitman and Ransom, Washington, D.C., 1992.

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