Kaya Tours Ghana Joins Thousands to Celebrate ‘World Tourism Day’ | General entertainment

As we celebrate World Tourism today with great interest from tourism organizations, government agencies and individuals on the theme of “Tourism and Rural Development”, I would like to share my thoughts on this very important occasion and the theme set for it.

Countries around the world are relying on tourism like never before to fuel recovery after suffering a severe blow to their economy due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But while we celebrate the occasion with a conscience of promoting national tourism before international tourism, let’s consider the following;

1. The image of our tourist site

The character of our attraction sites is crucial for tourist participation. Environmental safety, friendliness of people add up to attract visitors or not. Therefore, the quality of the attraction will determine whether the tourist should visit the site or not.

We need to develop our local tourism market through branding and positioning to make it attractive. We need to add value to our museums, heritage sites, etc. so that the tourists keep coming.

The brand promise must be clear and consistent to influence local consumption.

2. The price of our national tourism products

Price is one of the most important elements of the tourism marketing mix. Tourism customers value the product at a price, but the correct price should satisfy both the tourist and the profitability objectives of the tourism business.

The government of Ghana should review taxes and levies on tourism products to make them affordable for local consumption.

The rate of a 3-star hotel in Accra for one night’s stay cannot be easily consumed by an average middle-income worker. Hotels pay 17.5% VAT, 1% tourist tax along with legal payments such as SNNIT, Tier 1 and 2, income tax, etc.

The cost of operating hotel accommodation is very expensive, so commercial operators pass the cost on to the price of their product. This makes it very expensive for local consumers.

3. Training and development

The tourism sector includes various industries, from transportation, aviation, agriculture, catering, food and beverage, accommodation, drivers, creative arts, fashion, etc.

There should be regular training programs for skilled and unskilled artisans in the tourism business to improve the results of their business operations.

4. Cultural preservation

Cultural assets must be preserved by involving local youth who reside in the cities and towns of our main tourist destinations.

The ability of the community to preserve its cultural heritage will drive the arrival of tourists nationwide.

Building the capacity of communities around culture and heritage will significantly improve the sustainability of preservation. There should be a dialogue between residents and visitors to better understand the cultural values ​​of the community.

conclusion

Thirty years ago, tourism in Ghana was literally at a standstill, largely due to political instability and problems with shortages of even basic goods.

Tourism in Ghana has grown significantly as the largest employer in the informal sector after agriculture, commerce and industry.

Ghana tourism comes from the impact of our food, culture and heritages, creative arts, festival ceremonies, beach resorts, hotels, etc.

It is important to note that tourism is an important economic activity as an agent of change, social facilitator, and an important income-generating program for social progress.

The success and sustainability of local tourism and development will always depend on the management’s cooperation with all stakeholders.

A shared vision, the willingness to work together to achieve the established objectives through the delivery of work through evaluations and measurable results is very key.

“Happy World Tourism Day 2020”

By

Abeiku Aggrey Santana
Managing Director
Kaya Tours Ghana Ltd.
Accra, Ghana.

Email: [email protected][email protected]

Website: www.kayatours.com www.abeikusantana.com