Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the tourism industry in Ghana, as well as globally, stakeholders must look for creative ways of ensuring that the industry gets back on its feet.
The Ghana Tourism Federation took the lead when it officially signed a memorandum of understanding with Gek Media Communication to adopt the TV tourism marketing concept ‘Adventure Ghana Reality TV show’ as the model for selecting tourism ambassadors to promote the federation’s agenda for responsible and sustainable tourism development in Ghana.
Bella Ahu, president of the Ghana Tourism Federation, believes tourism marketing must now be done consciously to include messages that assure tourists of a safe haven and treats never experienced before. She also gave strong assurances on safety issues relating to COVID-19 infection Africa.
She emphasised that Ghana and Africa have done pretty well in containing the virus, considering protocols put in place to negate the pandemic by governments in Africa.
Ms. Bella said African countries must take advantage of the fact that the continent has stronger resilience and a better record in terms of managing the pandemic. The continent recorded low deaths, meaning people are safer in Africa than anywhere else in the world – a message that must be communicated well to get the tourism industry in Africa bubbling once travelling restrictions are eased.
George Egah, project manager of the TV series, also gave insights into what individuals who win the TV reality show are to expect. The prizes for emerging winner of the TV show, which will be held annually, include an amount of GH¢10, 000; a car; and appointment as Ghana Tourism Federation Ambassador for one year.
He stated that the race for who gets the opportunity to become the federation of tourism’s ambassadors will be keenly contested.
Commenting on the memorandum of understanding, he said it is a step in the right direction as ambassadors under the auspices of the Ghana Tourism Federation will be tasked with offering workable solutions to tackle industry challenges.
He expressed a lot of confidence in the objectives and goals which have been put together for ambassadors to pursue.
The maiden edition of the project was produced and aired on GH One TV in 2018.
The second edition of the TV show has been launched to find the first Ghana Tourism Federation Ambassador, with producers of the show looking for individuals with ability to lead good initiatives, take advantage of funding opportunities and create an enabling environment for development of the tourism and hospitality industry in Ghana.
The project is also partnered by Let’s do it Ghana – a clean Ghana Initiative; the Ghana Chamber of Content Producers – an organisation that supports & advocates to ensure contents from Ghana meet international standards; and Ascent Africa – an organisation that organises obstacle courses in Ghana and Africa.
