By Ernest Bako WUBONTO
The University of Media, Arts and Communication-Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ), formerly Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), has demonstrated how to promote youth patronage of indigenous tourist sites through its ‘Tourism Marketing’ class project.
The initiative, aimed at boosting domestic tourism, fostered collaboration between industry and academia – showcasing a model for driving tourism growth in the country, particularly among youth and students.
The initiative is expected to enhance interest in domestic tourism and boost job creation, as some students may discover business opportunities and become entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry.
Post-COVID-19 patronage of tourist sites by locals has sharply declined, particularly among the youth. This decline is largely attributed to the economic downturn, poor promotional efforts and a lack of investment in tourism infrastructure.
However, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) needs commendation for promoting local patronage through support of local hospitality products to boost job creation, preserve cultural heritage and enhance economic stability.
Statistics from the GTA indicate that there was a remarkable rebound in international tourist visits, leading to the country’s tourism receipts rising from US$2.51billion in 2022 to US$3billion last year – surpassing the pre-COVID-19 record of US$3.31billion. Nonetheless, local patronage is not matching that pace; hence the importance of such student-led initiatives to bridge the gap.
The 2024 level 300-year group, as part of the Tourism Marketing Class course requirement, was to undertake a project, establish a tourism marketing company and promote a product to the public for patronage.
To ensure competition the class was divided into two groups, hence the two companies: NEVANEA Adventures and Echo Travels.
Before I continue, let me pause here and congratulate the two groups for their excellent delivery. Even though most of them are embarking on such a business venture for the first time, the teamwork, ability to establish a legitimate company, organise logistics appropriate for such a long-distance destination, secure sponsors and get the regulator’s support (GTA) deserves commendation.
The leadership, guidance and innovative expertise of the lecturer in charge of the course, Bright Senanu, must be singled out for recognition. Though he stated that the semester project’s goal was to help students put into practice the concepts and theories studied in class, the impact of this initiative transcends academic corridors – creating entrepreneurs, promoting tourism and a step-by-step guideline for business registration and operationalisation.
The excursion
The excursion from Accra to the Volta Region on Saturday, August 10, 2024 by both companies -NEVANEA Adventures to Afadzato and Tagbo Falls; and Echo Travels to Amedzofe exploring the Canopy Walk, Ote Waterfalls and Mount Gemi – was a remarkable feat to be attained by a student-led initiative.
Nonetheless, that did not come on a silver platter. Of course, as novices in the industry, the challenges and setbacks encountered were expected. Again, the ability to surmount these impediments and deliver a successful service is refreshing.
As a patron of the NEVANEA Adventures product dubbed ‘Roam Rovers Expedition’, I have an eye-witness account of the total experience – the good, bad and ugly. Therefore, I am in a better position to chronicle the bad and ugly as well, but this initiative must be encouraged and supported to continue for at least the next decade.
Why this project must continue
Here are my reasons and I hope industry players will agree. For instance, the 2023 GTA Tourism Report titled ‘Strong Recovery’ listed the ‘Top-10 Most Visited Sites in Ghana’ for both the year under review and period from 2019-2023. Surprisingly, Mount Afadjato, the tallest mountain in West Africa, did not appear on either list.
The absence of Mount Afadjato from the list can be attributed to a lack of investment in developing the site, compounded by poor marketing and promotional efforts. Given these challenges, it is commendable that academia is stepping in to promote such destinations. The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) should collaborate with the faculty to bring more attention to the site and address these gaps.
The successful organisation of around 200 participants by the two groups to their respective destinations demonstrates their extensive practical experience. This achievement suggests that they could easily replicate such initiatives for shorter-distance destinations, or even launch their own start-ups within the tourism sector.
Additionally, many of the patrons, who were visiting the tourist sites for the first time, expressed interest in returning. This is a promising way to boost domestic tourism by fostering interest and preference for local destinations.
One can only imagine the boost the domestic tourism sector would receive if a deliberate effort is made to involve all tertiary institutions – particularly marketing and communications students – along with industry players and state agencies.
Recommendations
The GTA was a partner in the initiative and is therefore fully aware of its potential. It is crucial for the GTA to proactively contact the course lecturer and faculty to scale up the project, rather than waiting for students to seek assistance. Otherwise, the Authority might later blame discontinuation of the partnership on students not reaching out for support.
Additionally, the faculty should not be discouraged by the challenges encountered. Instead, they should establish an ad-hoc committee to develop this initiative into an annual flagship programme – if not a semesterly one.
This approach could involve other UniMAC institutions – such as the Institute of Languages and Institute of Film and Television – and potentially extend to other tertiary institutions like the African University College of Communications (AUCC) and Multimedia Institute of Ghana through strategic marketing and partnerships.
Moreover, this initiative represents a valuable model for promoting industry-academia collaboration. The corporate community should closely follow this innovative effort and be open to supporting students seeking assistance in the future.
