This Month we get to know better Ghana Tourism Agency
What was your motivation to join ICCA?
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) is the principal governmental agency responsible for the promotion and marketing of Ghana’s Tourism products to attract business and leisure tourists. As a Destination Management Organisation, GTA rethink, rebrand and re-strategise for competitiveness.
We are strongly repositioning the destination tourism offerings to include business and MICE tourists. Attracting a larger share of this important segment requires that the Ghana Tourism Authority affiliates with international MICE bodies and Associations that leads the sector at global levels.
Having studied ICCA code of ethics and activities executed, GTA is highly motivated to join the Association for Recognition, Visibility and Networking within the global MICE community.
Tell us your story. How did the Ghana Tourism Authority get started?
In 1953, the Government of Ghana featured Tourism as an important sector to be developed. Consequently, the Ghana Tourist Board was created to see to the healthy development of the industry.
Since its inception, the Ghana Tourist Board has gone through a number of transitional regimes. After several years of efforts to help align and strengthen the Tourism industry, the Ghana Tourism ACT 817 was passed by Parliament and accented in 2011, thus creating the Ghana Tourism Authority with renewed and expanded mandate and source of finance “Tourism Development Fund”.
Since then, the organisation has led many aggressive marketing promotions, Strategic reforms, development and others tactical approaches for the growth of Ghana’s Tourism industry.
What sets the Ghana Tourism Authority apart.
The Ghana Tourism Authority is the only state institution backed by law to market all the tourism products in Ghana and also regulate, classify and licenses all Tourism plants units in Ghana. These are Accommodation enterprises, Food and Beverages, Conference and Event Venues, Attractions, Car Rentals, Charter flights, Travel trade operations etc.
What set the organisation apart is that we market and license these products and also mandated to ensure that the destination offers tourists both leisure and business value for their money. GTA ensures that high standards are maintained, Excellent services are rendered and that customer experience and satisfaction are largely at its best.
What is your favourite success story from your organisation.
When the Year of Return Campaign was launched in 2019, this gave the country a more global recognition in the Tourism space especially within the African American fraternity.
Since then, the country has played host to larger and important international events and conferences and received many prominent personalities.
Among these conferences hosted were:
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UNWTO Regional Congress on Women Empowerment in 2019.
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Africa Youth in Tourism and Innovation Summit in 2021.
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African Youth Connekt Summit in 2021.
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Kusi Ideas Festival in 2021
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African Development Bank World Meetings in 2022.
Also, within the local market GTA has chalked success due to many successful marketing campaigns spearheaded by the organisation.
The organisation has won many international and local awards.
What can we expect to see from the Ghana Tourism Authority in the future.
An organisation that is poised to offer best services to the global MICE community.
GTA having launched Destination Ghana Campaign in the United Kingdom recently by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana is telling the global world that the destination is open and ready for business after the Tourism sector was globally affected by the COVID 19 pandemic.
We will strive to raise Ghana’s visibility within the MICE space and be known as the best destination in West Africa with array of MICE offerings.
Again, we will focus on developing a vibrant and sustainable tourism destination.
Which trends do you see in the Association Meetings
COVID 19 pandemic compelled the meeting world to rethink to stay relevant and many virtual meeting platforms emanated.
In as much as destinations benefit less from virtual and hybrid Meetings, they would be part of the meeting world especially in a world shaped by global uncertainties.
As a result, we see technology playing a major role in Association Meetings.
We need to find ways to embrace technology in order not to be threatened by its growth.
Technology can help us to leverage experiences in Association Meetings.
What is an industry challenge your organisation is facing currently.
Destination Ghana has enormous facilities and is a safe country for the business traveller, Professional Congress organisers, Associations to host meetings and Conferences
The destination can boast of ultra- modern Conferences and Event venues with state-of-the-art equipment, Excellent Accommodation and star rated hotels, fleet of vehicles with new technological devices, good medical facilities, domestic airlines and many international airlines connecting through to approximately 50 destinations.
Currently, the destination's major challenge is its inability to host over 6000 conference delegates at a sitting.
However, plans are underway to resolve this in the near future.