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Ghana hosts up for Accra Weizo, as country eyes West Africa’s MICE Hub

By Chuks Nwanne
26 May 2018   |   1:58 am
It has now been confirmed that Ghana’s Minister of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts Hon Catherine Afeku will host the Tourism Day of Accra Weizo on June 23 2018. As Accra reinforces its position as the MICE capital of West Africa, hosting Accra Weizo...

Tourism Ministry Confirms Participation

It has now been confirmed that Ghana’s Minister of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts Hon Catherine Afeku will host the Tourism Day of Accra Weizo on June 23 2018. As Accra reinforces its position as the MICE capital of West Africa, hosting Accra Weizo for the 4th time amongst other international events attracted to Ghana in the last one year speaks volume of the work done so far by the Ministry.

Already, Accra is listed by ICCA the International Congress and Convention Association as the Top Conference Destination in West Africa. Besides, some major tourism events have been hosted in Ghana in the last one-year, which includes the World Tourism Forum Africa and The UNWTO training for West Africa. Meanwhile, Ghana recently hosted the media unveiling of AFRIMA Award in Accra.

Accra Weizo is one of the events geared towards getting West Africans to cooperate amongst themselves. Though its home to 15 countries of over 380 million people, tourism and travel is not the strong suite of the economic interaction in the region; the region receives among the lowest tourism figures per capita in Africa. With a huge population and over 40 Airports aviation is dominated by companies from outside the region, Accra Weizo aims at creating a seamless travel environment in West Africa.

The private sector event for West Africa offers another opportunity for Ghana to notch up its figures. It is already confirmed that the Honorable minister of Aviation for Ghana Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah will be Opening the 4th Accra Weizo event on June 22, with a Paper titled, Harnessing the Opportunities in Aviation value chain in West Africa. The first day will be the seminar on Aviation, while day two will be dedicated to ‘Travel, Tourism and the Internet’ session to grow travel business and destination.

Holding at the Ada Ekesi Hall at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, the topics to be discussed on the first session of the event, which is dedicated solely to Aviation in West Africa include, Interlining in West Africa, a possibility or a Mirage?; Integrating West African Airport System; Standardizing Aviation Laws in West Africa for Regional Growth; Why West African Airlines fail easily and the future.

Confirmed panellists for that session are Capt Ado Sanusi – Managing Director of Nigeria’s oldest airline Aero, owners of the major MRO in the region, Chike Ogeah the Vice Chairman SAHCOL a leading Nigerian Owned Aviation handling and Logistics company, Alex Nwuba, CEO of Ghana based Smile Aviation and former CEO of Nigerian based Associated Airlines, Richard Kyereh from Africa World Airlines the leading Airline in Ghana. Other Airlines Chief Executives are expected to join the panel.

Due to the need to organise the tourism products available in the region to encourage intra regional tourism, Atqnews will be hosting an Award for the Top 100 Hotels in West Africa. There will also be a hospitality panel made up of top hotel managers in West Africa to discuss The Adapting of International Hotel Standards to the African Environment. Already confirmed Panelists, which is a mixture of African and non-African hotel managers include Marigold Vivian Mingle of Ridge Royal Resort at Cape Coast. She was a former General Manager of La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.

Others are Pastor Emmanauel Geadda-Asando, Vice President -Ghana Progressive Hotels Association, Sajid Khan, General Manager, Tang Palace Hotel Ghana, Malah Saleh, the CEO of Djembe Hotels and Balafon Hotels in the Gambia. Topics lined up for day two of the event include How effective are travel bloggers, writers and influencers in promoting travel destinations in West Africa, to be discussed by Gabe Onah, Chairman Carnival Calabar Commission and others.

Four years after the launch of Accra Weizo as a West African Travel and Tourism platform for the growth of Seamless Travel in the Ecowas region, a new association for Private sector Players in the region has emerged. The interim Board of WATTA will be announced and Inaugurated at Accra Weizo on June 23, 2018, at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Accra.

According to Mr. Ikechi Uko CEO of AKWAABA African Travel Market and Organiser of Accra Weizo, “Our Events are geared towards capacity building and networking. After the success of Banjul Bantaba, we expect Ghana to Surpass the Gambia Experience.”

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