Ghana – friendly to a fault
Some Ghanaians complain that they are friendly to a fault. This has been translated as ‘Akwaaba’ in the local Akan language, meaning ‘welcome’. It is reflected in the unconditional welcome when you arrive in any home in Ghana. This sort of friendliness is the nectar attracting foreign visitors like insects.
Waiting for fishermen.
© Igino Schraffl
To prepare for the sudden interest in the country as a tourist destination, the authorities have embarked on an ambitious plan to attract at least 700,000 visitors by the end of next year. They have cause to be hopeful because since 2005, when the country recorded a total of 450,000 visitors, the figures have gone up annually, says E; V. Hagan, a Director at the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations.
In 2006, there were 500,000 visitors and last year a total of 600,000 were recorded. As a result, Hagan says the government is trying to use the sector as part of a national effort to reduce poverty by encouraging people to create jobs through training in skills to enable them to generate revenue for themselves.
The sudden interest in Ghana as a tourist destination is not by accident. Wilhelm Koch, a German on vacation in Accra said “the country was recommended to me by a friend who two years ago spent four weeks here. This encouraged me to pay a visit and to see what he means by friendly people.” Koch says, “I am not disappointed with my visit because the people are very nice people and you forget you are away from home. What is missing is a coordinated plan to make tourism very fulfilling.”
Hagan says the government is, “using the next four years to improve facilities at all tourist attractions in order to arrive at this goal. As a result, we are developing all tourist attractions in the country in order to make them accessible to visitors.”
Development of tourist attractions
Twenty-one tourist attractions have been selected for development. These include the old slave market site at Assin Manso and the final crossing point for slaves at Assin Praso. In addition, the biggest tree in West Africa, the site at Akim Oda, Salaga Slave market and the Wli waterfalls, are all to be made more attractive to visitors.
In spite of all these efforts, Osah Thompson-Mensah, an analyst at Ecobank in Accra says the country has much more to do to be able to achieve its aim of a better tourist sector for the economy.
“Existing hotels charge too much for the services they provide which is anyway not top-class,” said Thompson-Mensah. In addition, the facilities are not available to meet the needs of visitors. These are areas that agencies involved in tourist development should look at.”
But the country’s stability and the high international profile are in its favour. Thompson-Mensah said, “it is important that investment in the sector increase so that the country can take advantage of the benefits of tourism.”
He said it is clear that Ghana’s tourism has a good future: “What is left is to ensure that the challenges that the sector faces should not hold it back.”
