The World Tourism Forum – Africa Summit is going to be hosted by Ghana. Ghana would be the first African country to host the forum. It will take place on October 10 and 11, 2017 at Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel in Accra.
President Nana Akufo-Addo will be the Special Guest for the event.
The forum is bringing together about 50 foreign media houses, 10 African Ministers, as well as Ambassadors, Chief Executive Officers of Tourism from other countries, and other stakeholders in the sector.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Akwesi Agyemang, announced the forum at a press conference. He used the opportunity to highlight activities for the forum; there would be a regional tour for the guests on October 9, to some interesting tourism sites and monuments in the Central Region, followed by a welcome cocktail in the evening at the National Theatre in Accra.
The main event on October 10 would be crowned with a Gala Dinner and Tourism Awards. He further appealed to the local media houses to be collaborative withe the Local Organising Committee and foreign media to sell the country favourably to the outside world. He added there would be a Regional Training for stakeholders in the sector from October 12 to 17, 2017, by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in Accra, and urged the media to give the necessary support to the two events.
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, stated that Ghana was chosen over other African countries to host the event because of the country’s political stability.
The Minister noted that, the World Tourism Forum is a classical event that would need the support of the media to tell Ghana’s story to the world, and urged the local media to show the country’s genuine warmth, hospitality and generosity to their foreign counterparts.
Mrs. Afeku said after the forum, the GTA would issue a statement to showcase Ghana’s capability as a tourism destination in Africa, saying that, “let’s help the foreigners to see Ghana through our eyes”.
She further addressed the local media that the forum was an opportunity for them to network with global media networks to sell themselves, and also by collaborating with the foreign media to sell Ghana’s tourism potentials.