Myriad reasons exist as to why we find travel and tour alluring or why we find it a necessary form of escapism, yet even through these reasons we are not absolutely sure why we are drawn to it. In its barest form, we tour and travel largely to sate our curiosity about our world. It is a purely instinctive trait innately fixed within our psyche; take this for an example, When you set foot in a new environment or area it becomes a natural response to want to know more about where you are or to explore and familiarize with this new environment. Therein lies the process of touring, discovering, exploring and experiencing things that the new locale has to offer as a means of satisfying our curiosity. There is not a concrete answer as to why we tour but there is safety in assuming that we do so as a perfectly instinctive response to being thrust in a new, unfamiliar environment. Tourism then became the commercial structure and organization borne out of the innate need to explore our world, to familiarize and connect deeper with our surroundings and general places of interest.

The world is full of splendour and mystery, often found in areas that suspend belief effortlessly and humans, being creatures that are drawn to the bizarre and unusual take the time to tour these places. From the Great Pyramids at Giza to the Great Wall of China and to Mount Everest, visitors find themselves struck with awe and excitement and some find the experiences humbling and emotional as it resonates deeply with certain aspects of our personal lives; a person’s joy at cruising over the Lake Volta because of their love for water or swimming at a different time in their lives or a person’s love of heights takes them on a tour to Mount Afadja to conquer its precipice. The act of touring although natural, usually does not occur without a catalyst to ensure a person is in a position to even tour a new locale. Here we can find name some scenarios that almost perfectly serves as a reason to explore and tour.

One such scenario we can imagine is going on a business trip or attending a professional event. With this its often common that as a means to familiarize with the environment in which a business or professional occasion is going on, we take tours and discover new things. It also serves as a means to escape from the tedium of work and business, to relax when all professional activities are at an end. Some examples of this are conferences or workshop events that a company or business professional attends in a foreign country. Another well-known scenario is traveling on a religious or spiritual pilgrimage. For many, leaving their homes and embarking on a pilgrimage to holy sites, monasteries, temples and churches far off and away is part of their religious or spiritual activities and it holds great significance to them. However even while on these trips, the need to tour and connect with these new locations becomes apparent as for some it serves as a way of deepening their faith or belief in these areas while for others it is a way to gain greater knowledge and experience about their destination.  Pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, trips to the Vatican City enclaved within Rome, or to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain, China, are some examples of religious trips.

Sporting events are also a great way for people to have a chance to explore a new place, and to witness the charm of a city preparing for a sports event. Athletes, Coaches, Managers all right down to sports fans all troop to the location of which a sports event is to take place, and so it is not uncommon to find tourism in full effect here, as these visitors are probably in the new location for the first time and might want to acclimatize with their new environment. It adds to the excitement and joy of being part of a sports event or festival in a place other than what is familiar and fosters a sense of belonging with locals as they share together in the passion of the sporting event being held.

Perhaps the most common way by which touring and travel even occurs is because we do them for leisure. Sometimes there does not need to be a reason to explore a new place other than the simple fact that we just want to, at our own pace, budget and time. Touring takes place here without external pressure and tourists are free to take on adventures to their hearts’ delight, some prefer self-guided tours while others sign up to tour groups. Either way, chosen, tourism still remains prevalent in the drive to become familiar with a new and unknown place.

Understanding why people are drawn to tour and travel is a necessary step into boosting a nation’s Tourism sector for the benefit of the people, visitors and the nation’s economy. Making tourist sites safe, fun and easily accessible are some of the things that a tourism industry should be concerned with and with the above reasons why people tour we can see that Tourism in and of itself is part of our psyche and from ancient times has always been a way by which we humans connect and learn of our world. For a true boost to a nation’s tourism sector, a lot more work is needed in ensuring that it effective and profitable from finding the right places to make a tourist attraction to maintaining and regulating existing sites to bolstering hospitality and enriching cultural values, Tourism within a nation can well become its top economic benefactor.

In Ghana, tourism plays a key role in driving the economy by way of foreign exchange generation, creating employment avenues and wealth generation as well as stimulating other sectors of the economy. Currently, the fourth largest source of foreign exchange earnings, Ghana’s tourism raked in an estimated US 2.2 million in 2015 with arrivals reaching up to 1.2 million visitors. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture under the leadership of Honorable Lawyer Barbara Oteng Gyasi has managed and sustained a vibrant tourism industry through the ministry’s able agencies. The Ghana Tourism Authority, headed by Mr. Akwasi Agyeman is one such agency that has served well to keep the tourism industry within Ghana a leader in African tourism and an all-round attraction for eager tourists far and wide. From effective vetting and licensing of tourist sites, hospitality services and institutions to event organization and authorization, the Ghana Tourism Authority has a solid grasp of the tourism sector and works diligently to ensure tourists and visitors get to experience the deep culture, absorb the firm heritage and appreciate the fascinating arts that Ghana has to offer. Beyond being innately drawn to tour, it falls on the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to promote domestic tourism amongst indigenes.

Conclusively, it must be known that people will always want to travel and tour, we have been doing so from the age of early man right down to the digital age we are currently in, therefore commercialization of this activity is bound to always happen. For any country, Tourism has the most potential to bridge ethnic differences, promote cultural diversity and, encourage unity and overall rake in foreign exchange hence it should not be taken lightly in order to truly reap the benefits of a vibrant Tourism industry.

By: Edward Koku Alao-Crystal/NSP/GTA

The story “No pleasurable experience at La Pleasure Beach” by Edmund Smith- Asante of The Daily Graphic is a riveting article that takes a surgical dive into one of Accra’s most popular beach sites, La Pleasure Beach. Edmund presented his experience at the Beach hub in a manner that allowed for all readers to truly have a first seat feel of what transpired at the beach. Masterfully detailing each and every activity from arrival to departure from the beach, he left before us the grit and grime of what truly happens at La Pleasure Beach and although he concluded that there were no pleasurable experiences, It indeed was left to the readers to make that conclusive decision themselves.

His devoted time in this article is praiseworthy and allowed for him to be picked as the winner of the category of Domestic Tourism Writer at the 24^th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards held recently. It goes to show the recognition and affinity that many readers and journalists alike had with his article, most especially as it highlighted aspects of domestic tourism and aimed his publication at raising awareness for the proper handling and refining of our domestic tourist sites as these sectors single-handedly could make or unmake a vibrant tourist economy. The experienced journalist received his award amidst cheer and salutations as his article had received the expected support and acceptance that led to his big win in the first place.

Edmund Smith – Asante is the current acting Regional News Coordinator of the Daily Graphic.

He completed the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 1991 and has remained a journalist for 28 years. He was the Editor for The Independent newspaper and Founding Editor for the Ghanaian Observer. He also was the Assistant Online Editor for Ghana Business News, an online portal. He enjoys writing on issues concerning the environment, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH), Tourism and generally on developmental issues. Edmund was born on December 14, 1965, and is happily married with two girls. A wondrous writer he is and his dedication to tourism and journalism shine true.

The Ghana Tourism Authority under the leadership of CEO, Akwasi Agyeman congratulates Mr Edmund Smith – Asante on his successful endeavour.

Since President Nana Akufo-Addo declared 2019 as the Year of Return, several people from the global African diaspora have heeded the call and made a trip to Ghana. Most have come to explore the history, heritage and culture and have life-changing experiences as they return back to their respective homes in the Americas, Europe and beyond.

For one couple, the President’s speech inspired them to uproot their family and move to Ghana. “We were very inspired by the Year of Return and moved to Ghana just over 2 months ago,” said Anna Acheampong. She said they couldn’t wait when they saw the door was open. She and her husband are both of Dutch-Ghanaian heritage. Both have fathers who are Ghanaian and mothers who are Dutch. Growing up in Holland as mixed-race children came with its challenges, but it also had its benefits. The couple said they were able to have the best of both worlds.

Both in their early thirties, Anna, who worked as a Social Worker in Child Protective Services, and her husband Kevin, who is a Corporate Account Manager, recently moved to Ghana to not only experience life there, but to also expose their children to a different way of living. “I think we are settled now and we’re trying to relax,” she said. “When we told our friends and family that we wanted to move to Ghana, they would always ask us, ‘Why do you want to move to Ghana?’…and now that we’ve made the move, we get people asking questions like, ‘Do you have electricity?’” …she laughed.

Anna said she couldn’t believe that people still thought that a modern lifestyle can’t exist in an African country. She says it’s largely why they decided to start posting videos on YouTube. She and her husband wanted to show their friends back in Holland, what they were experiencing on a day-to-day basis to see what their new life was really like. “With our videos, we are trying to show that what people think, is not the way Africans live.” She says they were concerned about the stereotypes that exist about Ghana and that inspired her to create content that shows another perspective of the country.

Their two children, ages seven and three, have had their ups and downs. “One of the biggest challenges is they don’t speak English. They are gradually learning,” she said. “The older one has had the most difficult experience as she is having a hard time letting go of her old friends in the Netherlands.” She said during their research on moving to Ghana they noticed a gap when it comes to information available. “We were looking for content to show our kids how things would be in Ghana and we couldn’t find it anywhere. Through our videos, we are trying to motivate other families that are thinking about making the same move. We also want to show things from the perspective of a child, which, we couldn’t find anywhere.”

Anna said that when she was growing up in the Netherlands, she would often go to Ghana on vacation with her dad, but she was never really free to do what she wanted. Her family would keep her from exploring and she didn’t get a real feel of the country. It wasn’t until she and her husband came to Ghana together for the first time that she saw Ghana in a whole different light. “That was the first time that I really saw and experienced Ghana. It’s what I believe I should have had when I was growing up,” she said. “We want to give our children what we missed out on.”

She said that Ghana does have its challenges, it’s not perfect but you have to find a way to make it work. “You have to try to make it nice for yourself,” she said. “We found a house with a pool so our children have something nice to do every day.”

This was important to her because Ghana lacks the public playgrounds that they enjoyed in the Netherlands. “We also do a lot of things with the other kids in the neighbourhood.”

After a short time living in the country, they are constantly having new experiences and enjoying every minute of it. She said that every day is a learning experience and they are enjoying sharing it all on their YouTube Channel Acheampong Adventures.

Watch them on YouTube on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1XHxRcQmpb-zTVgH9Xxtww

Written by: Ivy Prosper

Ghana is hosting the maiden United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Regional Congress on women empowerment in the Tourism sector – Focus on Africa.

The 3-day congress (25 – 27 November, 2019) aims at analysing the current challenges and opportunities for women’s empowerment in the tourism sector, creating a synergy among the African countries and key stakeholders for greater cooperation in the promotion of women’s participation in the tourism sector and it will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre.

According to the second edition of the Global Report on Women in Tourism to be published by UNWTO, in collaboration with UN Women, GIZ, the World Bank and

Amadeus, ‘tourism has the potential to contribute to greater gender equality, providing women with more opportunities for empowerment than other sectors. It is also recognised more as a strategic tool for inclusive development’.

In 2018, Ghana hosted its maiden Women in Tourism Summit, a platform that served as a strategic driver to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, under the theme: ‘DRIVING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT’.The summit explored how to drive women empowerment through tourism development. It also created an opportunity for women operating across the entire tourism value chain to network and learn from each other and to transform the tourism economy to become a fundamental pillar in advancing the role of women in tourism entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders.

The maiden UNWTO Regional Congress will bring together a number of tourism stakeholders and keynote speakers in a series of panels to discuss and share best practice and set common proposals to address gender equality in the tourism sector for inclusive development in Africa.

The themes to be addressed at the congress will include: Tourism Policies to Enable Gender Equality; Entrepreneurship in Tourism, An Effective Means for Women to Lead in The Tourism Sector; Financing Women Empowerment Through Tourism – Challenges and The Way Forward and education and Technology as A Tool for Women’s Socio-Economic Advancement in Tourism.

The congress is targeting Tourism stakeholders – National Tourism Administrations, Tourism Ministries, public authorities and public gender-equality institutions, private sector representatives with interest in working on women’s empowerment and tourism development in the region, civil society and NGOs related to women’s empowerment and gender equality and Representatives from other sectors which have an impact and interest on women empowerment in the tourism sector in Africa.

The Regional Congress is to empower women to have greater opportunities to speed up the progress of women empowerment towards the SDGs and to improve women’s participation in the workforce, increase women’s entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment in the tourism sector.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo travelled to Barbados in June this year as part of Year of Return to reconnect Ghana with Caribean nations.  On his trip, he invited the leaders of the countries he visited to make a trip to Ghana and encouraged discussions on how their countries can form strategic partnerships. 

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, accepted his invitation and arrived in Ghana Thursday morning with a delegation for a 3-day visit.  This trip is significant because not only is the Prime Minister exploring possible business opportunities and ways our two countries can build together, she is also visiting historical sites and Thursday witnessed the burial of the remains of an unknown enslaved African from Barbados. 

Shortly after arrival, she and her delegation travelled to the Central Region to visit Cape Coast Castle before making the journey to Assin Manso for the burial. “We are home and we thank God for giving us the strength and resilience as a people to be able to make this journey today,” she said to the crowd in Assin Manso.  “It is not a coincidence that this is the ‘Year of Return’ …we have come to declare too, that we want to close the circle and we want to build the Atlantic bridge,” she declared.

It was an emotional ceremony that represented the coming together of the past, present and building toward the future.  The local Chiefs poured libations to honour the ancestors and they greeted and welcomed the Prime Minister to their town.  “We have to pay homage and to give thanks for centuries of resilience of those who were able to withstand the cruelest indignities in humanity…thanks for the ability to keep faith and keep hope alive,” Mottley said.

The casket holding the remains was draped with kente and the Barbados flag.  It was carried to the gravesite and wreaths were laid in honour of this unknown soul.  After burial, the Prime Minister and her delegation were taken on a private tour of the Slave River where captured Africans were bathed for the last time before being taken to the dungeons of Cape Coast and Elmina through the ‘door of no return.

Mottley is hopeful and positive for the future relationship Barbados will have with Ghana. “You must know that we have come here with love in our heart…with a determination that we will always be stronger working together.”

Veteran American comedian and actor Steve Harvey has commended Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo for the ‘Year of Return’ initiative.

According to the radio personality, the year of return has brought a lot of African–Americans to Ghana to witness on firsthand basis the struggles blacks went through during the slave trade era.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Star Thursday, the Comedian expressed gratitude to the president for the move.

“We have been once called Negros, blacks and finally to African–Americans and this has been our journey so far,” he said.

He said he will use all platforms available to him to enlighten Blacks about Ghana’s significance in the dark history of the slave trade and urge all to travel to Ghana.

“We would never be the same after the year the president opened the year of return”.

“My mission now is to get tourism board of Ghana, South Africa and Botswana to work as a unit to bring more African-Americans first to Ghana,” he added.

He noted a visit to the slave Castle will make African-Americans unravel the full truth of their history and appreciate the struggles of their grandparents.

Source: Akessesemonline

Yesterday, the remains of an unknown enslaved African which was brought by the Prime Minister of Barbados was buried at the Assin Manso River Site, making it the third remains of enslaved Africans to be buried at the site.

The Prime Minister,  who arrived on Thursday would be in the country for three days and would hold bilateral discussions with the President.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her business delegation will meet President Akufo Addo as well as tour Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The trip is to deepen ties between the two countries.

Prime Minister Mottley will also participate in the Damba Festival to be held in Yendi over the weekend.