A 12-member advisory board for the Chamber for Tourism Industries (CTI) has been inaugurated in Accra, with a mandate to advise the Chamber on its strategies, decisions and activities to create a better tourism climate in Ghana.
The board, according to the CEO of CTI, Emmanuel Treku, is the second since establishment of the chamber in 2017 – and has a tenure of two years to help uplift the Chamber’s image and work with businesses to promote tourism in the country.
“There is a need to have the board advise the strategies, the ideas and decisions that we want to make; so that we have a project or sound management practice to the best of knowledge and to the benefit of Ghana. The Chamber’s objective is to work with businesses, to promote businesses, and provide international linkages and networking for members and practitioners within the industry,” he told B&FT in an interview.
Members of the board include Dr. Prince Kofi Kludjeson of Celltel Networks Ltd. as its chairman; Prince Ntiamoah, Founding President of CTI and Executive Secretary for Asia African Chamber of Commerce, who is also the Founding President of CEOs Advocacy Group (CAG).
Other members of the board include Yaw Anim Barnafo; Lawyer Charles Juanah; Fergus Maclaren, President of ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee; Prasanth Kumar of Founders Factory Africa, based out of Ghana as Commercial Partnerships Director; and Ms. Judith Biel, Founder of JB Consultant Group.
The rest are Dr. Kwaku Adu-Aninkora founder, McKeown Hospitality and Professional Institute in Kumasi; Odelia Ntiamoah, Head of Joy Business News; Josephus J.P.A. Van Den Berg, CEO and Creative Director at Red Mango Hospitality; Mercy Akaliga-Wemah; and Emmanuel Treku, Chief Executive Officer-Chamber for Tourism Industry Ghana with 24 years industry experience.
Director-Ghana Tourism Authority, Ben Anane Nsiah, swearing-in the members charged them to set reasonable targets for themselves in order to gradually achieve great heights. “We need to set reasonable targets over short periods and focus on that in an incremental way; identify one thing at a time and work toward achieving that,” he said.
He further encouraged the members to network more and build blocs with a cross-section of industry players.
In his acceptance speech, Chairman of the board Dr. Kludjeson charged members to look at new ways of growing the tourism sector. He explained that the paradigm has shifted from the traditional way of doing things to the smart way; therefore, members should not relent in their efforts and adapt.
Dr. Kludjeson further expressed optimism in the constituted board and assured of their full commitment in growing the tourism sector, which will at the end boost Ghana’s economy.
“Our jobs should not be on the old traditional tourismm but with critical thinking as to how we can be able to move this forward so the country is able to rely on this area. The old tourism ends today and then the new tourism begins. I believe that we have a good board, and I promise to do the best I can to make sure that we succeed – not only for this but the entire country and Africa as a whole.”
Dr. Kludjeson however indicated that there are two major setbacks to the tourism industry – namely, resting places and ATMs. Therefore, together with the board members and other stakeholders, he needs to take the industry and propel it to help solve this situation.
The CEO of Business and Financial Times, Dr. Godwin Acquaye, congratulated the newly inaugurated board and pledged B&FT’s commitment to ensuring execution of the board’s plans, and urged the board to make deliberate plans to help boost the tourism industry. There were also messages of solidarity from representatives of tour operators and other industry players in the country.
