By Fynn Kusi ADJEI
I’ve always believed that Ghana has immense potential when it comes to creative tourism. So when I first heard about the Black Star Experience initiative — like British Columbia’s INVEST IN ICONICS STRATEGY — I was hopeful. It sounded visionary: a way to celebrate who we are and what we can offer to the world. But my optimism quickly gave way to concern as I reflected more deeply on what I saw during its launch on Labour Day, May 1, 2025. The President and the Minister of Tourism were in attendance.
A familiar pattern: lack of strategic direction
The truth is, this initiative, like many before it, appears to have been launched without a proper strategic plan. No serious stakeholder engagements have taken place, and yet, it’s already being touted as a flagship intervention. We’ve seen this before — grand launches, speeches, promises — with very little follow-through. We need more than well-packaged single-night events. We need direction. We need intentionality. We expect long-term planning. Now is the time to take serious stock of the creative tourism ecosystem.
Lessons from elsewhere
I am passionate about sustainable leisure and tourism and have spent over a decade working in destination management in Ghana. I’ve also had the benefit of observing how countries like Canada structure their destination development plans — through genuine collaboration, consultation, research, and integration across community, sub-regional, regional, and national levels. That’s why I find it worrying that our own efforts often feel improvised. We seem to ignore the fundamentals of planning and coordination, as though creativity alone can substitute for strategy. It cannot.
Digital gaps and missed priorities
Take the basics: the Ghana Tourism Authority’s website is down. The recently launched Ghana Tourism Authority Passport Book — which is said to contain all of Ghana’s tourism-related information — is neither digital nor accessible for download. Yet a hard copy was presented to an immigration consultant instead of being made freely available to tourists or businesses in the sector. By now, I had expected the book would be available for download so we could review its content and suggest improvements.
Information flow is critical in tourism. The practice of limiting access to information is outdated, especially when digital tools can help reach wider audiences and boost the visitor economy. Priority should have been given to digital storytelling, not to curating hard copies. The Ministry of Tourism doesn’t have an interactive platform either. How can we discuss destination branding when the most essential digital infrastructure isn’t functional? This is not just an oversight — it reflects a deeper problem: ideas exist only in the minds of a few, with no serious reflection or planning to apply best practices and systems that ensure progress.
Leadership and accountability
It seems those in office may be more interested in other matters or lack the leadership required in the creative tourism sector. It is sad, but true. Their energy and ideas are valuable — but if they want these efforts to outlive them, then as public officers or institutions, they must pursue strategic planning. That is what Ghana needs now.
Community inclusion is not optional
I’ve also asked myself: what about the communities? The ones who will host these experiences — whose culture and way of life form the heart of this initiative? Have they been consulted? Will they benefit? At present, it doesn’t appear they’ve been considered, let alone included. If they aren’t empowered from the start, how do we expect them to own and sustain any of this?
From experience, (international) tourists seek authentic experiences that exist in abundance within communities — not confined to hotels, nightclubs, or tour buses. They gain these experiences by engaging with local people. Without proper collaboration, however, over-tourism and anti-tourism sentiments may rise.
Uninspiring online presence: form without substance
While writing this reflection, I visited the website shared by a leading government figure I deeply admire, one whose music I’ve appreciated for years. Shockingly, the site is neither interactive nor detailed. The only downloadable materials are logos and icons. Beyond a generic mission statement and a vague list of pillars, there is no practical information. No tools exist to support government goals — such as guidelines for businesses or community integration — and this absence is alarming.
Destination development is not entertainment
What hurts the most is that I’ve seen how destination development can be done well — where tourism becomes a tool for regeneration, for identity, for empowerment. I’ve witnessed this in places where thoughtful planning meets political will, and where communities are treated as equal partners, not passive backdrops.
Destination development is a policy-driven approach. Ghana doesn’t need branding from a single entity or politically connected insiders. Ghana has Missions Abroad which it can leverage for its destination branding purposes and more. Spending public funds to send a delegation to an Atlanta-based charity is not a prudent use of taxpayer dollars.
If the Black Star Experience team indeed wants to learn or build their capacity, they rather visit entities of similar purpose — like, for example, Destination BC in Canada. Ghana needs a national vision that is rooted in data, driven by collaborations and strategy, and built on transparency. Destination development is not cultural entertainment, expert-led shows, or the commercialization of experiences. It is economic policy. It is identity work. It is a development agenda.
We have the people — let’s use them
We have brilliant researchers, planners, entrepreneurs, artists, and academics who can do this work — if only they are invited into the process. Artists may bring life to the experience, but professionals must provide the policy scaffolding. One cannot replace the other.
Planning, inclusion, and shared prosperity
So this is my call — not just as a tourism student or policy follower, but as a Ghanaian who cares. Let us stop reducing creative tourism to symbolic launches and recycled ideas. Let us demand better planning, better systems, and real inclusion. Let us centre the voices of local communities. Let us make destination development about people, not politics.
And let us get to work — not someday, but now. I write from a place of sincere concern and hope that those leading this initiative, as committed as they are, will pursue a more sustainable path to realizing the NDC manifesto or government policy of leveraging tourism and the creative sector for shared prosperity.
Bibiani: A local vision for national impact inclusion
I want to see my birthplace, Bibiani — a gold mining town known for its wild Independence Day celebrations — fully integrated into this national experience. In my vision, a gold mining museum would be built where residents and visitors can have an actual gold mine experience. Visitors to the museum will learn about the people who worked in the mines, local geology, and the role of mining in Bibiani’s history. This facility would generate revenue for local authorities, businesses, and residents.
The creative sector can be harnessed through talent discovery, revitalizing cultural expressions like indigenous highlife and ethnic dance ensembles. These efforts can offer alternative livelihoods, boost local economies, and promote rural development.
Bibiani must move from celebration to transformation. I envision a thriving town with rebuilt infrastructure, including a modern library that serves its now 20,000+ residents. Children must be inspired to dream big, prioritize education, and avoid the trap of drug use. We need both scientific and indigenous strategies to address addiction. Only then can Bibiani — and towns like it — achieve lasting, meaningful change.
>>>the writer is a Ghanaian public interest advocate with several years of hands-on experience in tourism destination operations in Ghana. He is currently based in Canada. His interests cut across many sectors of the Ghanaian economy. However, his current work reflects a strong commitment to inclusive tourism planning and building global partnerships that support local development and sustainable travel practices. Email address: [email protected]
