Ghana Tourism CEO Urges Closer Collaboration Between Travel and Tourism Players | Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTDC), Prof. Kobby Mensah, has called for stronger collaboration among tourism, travel, and hospitality players to re-organise and professionalise Ghana’s tourism industry for sustainable growth.
Speaking as Guest Speaker on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Dzifa Abla Gomashie, at the ASKY Airlines and Amadeus Agency Forum in Accra, Prof. Mensah emphasized that tourism is a “multi-sectoral and diverse industry” that cuts across several key areas of national development, from finance and health to telecommunications and infrastructure.
“If you want to have a picture of how big the sector is, look at the needs of the citizen vis-à-vis the visitor. The visitor requires the same things as the citizen — health services, financial products, and telecommunication. So technically, tourism is the biggest sector in every economy,” he noted.
The event, which brought together over 200 CEOs and senior executives from Ghana’s leading travel agencies, airlines, and tourism companies, sought to strengthen partnerships between ASKY Airlines, Amadeus, and local agents in the aviation and travel ecosystem.
Prof. Mensah highlighted that the government’s new “Black Star Experience” vision aims to make Ghana a year-round tourism destination, not one that thrives only in December. To achieve this, he said, the GTDC is rolling out digital initiatives to enhance visitor engagement and promote repeat visits.
“We are developing the Ghana Tourism Marketplace to onboard every vendor in the sector. This will allow us to capture visitor data, engage them continuously, and promote new experiences,” he explained.
He also revealed that the GTDC has unveiled the Ghana Tourism Investment Platform that is designed to connect investors with tourism projects nationwide. “We are inviting communities and investors to list heritage sites, eco-parks, and other attractions so that we can attract private investment beyond hotels and resorts,” he added.
He urged all stakeholders to embrace innovation, investment, and collaboration. “When we bring the totality of our services together, from airlines to hospitality, from telcos to finance, we can truly deliver the Black Star Experience and position Ghana as Africa’s most welcoming destination,” he said.
ASKY and Amadeus partnership
The travel partners’ events, organised by ASKY, the Pan-African Airline, in collaboration with Amadeus Ghana, brought together travel consultants, ticketing agents, and key travel and tourism ecosystem partners to review our collective progress, share insights, and strengthen industry collaboration.
A highlight of the event was when stakeholders shared insights with Prof. Kobby Mensah, which will significantly influence policy, along with recognizing the Top Six Highest-Selling Travel Agents in Ghana, whose contributions continue to drive growth for ASKY and Amadeus.
GTDC CEO Urges Closer Collaboration Between Travel and Tourism Players | AviationGhana |
