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The tourism industry in Ghana has long been identified as one of the key drivers of national economic transformation. The sector has an important role to play in putting the Ghanaian economy on a sustainable inclusive growth path.
Described as the “New Gold,” it is a thriving industry with enormous potential for further growth and the creation of much-needed jobs.
But many visitors to beautiful places and other places of interest in Ghana complain about the difficulty of finding what they are looking for.
These frustrations are compounded by poor roads and a lack of directional signs that make trips unnecessarily long and arduous.
Repairing the roads leading to tourist spots is a great challenge, and it is as if we have deliberately refused to prioritize this sector with ‘low fruits’.
However, overcoming the lack of signage is something that can be remedied with very little state spending if tourism initiatives like the Year of Return are put to good use.
Destination managers invest heavily in marketing and promoting tourism facilities, but often do not think about the importance of good signage for sites.
To ensure that tourism benefits the local community and the local economy, visitors to such areas should be given adequate instructions to easily locate attractions, amenities, and services.
There is no use trying to develop tourism in a big way if foreigners and national tourists cannot find what they are looking for.
I remember the first time I went to the Kalakpa Game reserve at Abutia Kloe in the Volta region with my experienced pilot George. He seemed to know every corner of the country, from Aflao to Elubo and from Paga to Accra.
George is certainly familiar with the sights in Ghana, yet he passed the Kalakpa Reserve turnoff point on the Ho-Adidome road and made his way a few kilometers before one of our colleagues, who had been there previously, wondered out loud if we had gone too far.
It is often difficult to find a clean path to many of these places, making it demotivating for tourists who may not return or even recommend the destination to family and friends.
Visitor signage
Visitor signage is a key part of destination management and marketing.
A signage has many functions: it can attract visitors, provide guidance, inform and educate. It also plays a critical role in linking visitors to the “product” or experiences within an area.
I have seen the first white on brown tourist signs on the Liberation road near “Opeibea House” and another one on the Ako-Adjei interchange near the Accra Tourist Information Center with the Ghana Tourism Authority logo engraved on it .
This good sign directing visitors to the Accra Tourist Information Center is an important starting point and is the way to go! Congratulations, GTA.
In developed tourist destinations, brown signs are posted to guide visitors to a preselected destination along the most appropriate routes of their trip, particularly where destinations are difficult to find.
Like any form of traffic signage, tourist signs are only an aid to safe and efficient navigation, supplementing, but not replacing, pre-planning material such as maps and atlases.
A large percentage of visitors carry out some degree of research on a destination before leaving home, through brochures, directories, advertisements and, above all, through the Internet.
An increasing number, especially among the younger age groups, conduct their research “on the road” or at the destination, using smartphones and other handheld devices.
However, despite this increasing use of portable information devices, a significant proportion of visitors still make use of a Visitor Information Center or, when not available, maps, among others.
The case of Ghana
Unfortunately, in Ghana it is not common to see signs on key monuments, shrines, ancient towns, relics of fortresses, castles and ancient pre-colonial buildings whose stories are tied to our history as a people.
Can you imagine the economic benefits of driving traffic to Dodowa with the help of Brown Signs?
Although there is no proper facility to receive visitors, local guides will make a living escorting tourists to Tsenku Falls, also called Wuruduwurudu Falls located in Dodowa Forest while educating them about the famous Kantamanso War battlefield that ended in 1826.
Effective tourist signage has benefits for visitors and the community. They provide opportunities for the area and promote interactions between visitors and the local community.
For example, signs can direct visitors to the city center, where local businesses can benefit from visitors, and visitors also benefit from talking to locals about what they have to offer.
I hope that the “white on brown” sign project will be rolled out across the country to provide seamless experiences in connecting all the tourist attractions in the country.
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