Nigeria, Ghana pledge synergy to enhance tourism development through digitalization

Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to form a strategic partnership in enhancing the travel, tourism and hospitality sector in the West African Sub-region through digitalization.

The partnership is aimed at attracting and encouraging more people to move around the continent and from outside seamlessly to grow its Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

This agreement was reached at the 6th Accraweizo one day conference in Accra Ghana with the theme: Tourism Development Through Digitalization: Is The Sub-Region Ready?.

The global tourism industry currently is being transformed by a number of key technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), social media amongst others. 

Key players in the sector say, as a matter of urgency, tourism enterprises must embrace digitalization and innovation after post covid to drive sustainable and inclusive growth of tourism in Africa.

Ghana Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture represented by the Director Human Resources, Mr. Otto Langmagne emphasized on synergy to drive the sector.

“I do know that this collaboration definitely is either going to be a push or pull from Nigeria or Ghana, what is important is that we need that synergy”.

The Director General, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, Turaki Nura Kaigiwa represented by Director, General Studies, Mr. Famogbiyele Taiwo said, sharing of experiences to enhance activities in the sector is the first step.

“I think we can cooperate, synergy especially in the are of training”.

The Deputy, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Ekow Sampson stated that since the transition from analogue system process of capturing travelers’ data on board, arrival and departure, sales of tickets, bookings there had been a quantum leap in sales in the tourism and travel eco-system and this must be sustained.

“Tourism and development through Digitalization is appropriate because tourism and technological advancement has been tightly inter-woven for the past 25 years”.

The first west African pilot to fly the Airbus A380, Captain Solomon Quainoo emphasized on air connectivity within the region and the continent to speedy up tourism development.

“We are already behind we need to play catch up, the best way we can do that is to encourage ourselves, empower local businesses and lets work together to develop our aviation”.

Organizer of the event and Nigeria Tourism Ambassador, Mr. Ikechi Uko noted that, though there were challenges but with collaboration these can be surmounted.

“What we can achieve together is amazing but we have not shared our strength together”.

Highlights of the event was the presentation of the Balafon awards, networking and exhibition.