The Women in Business and Tourism (WIBAT) last night launched its local chapter at the Accra Tourists Information Centre. The colourful event brought together a cluster of top women business executives, public officials, traditional queen mothers and other business entrepreneurs.
In her speech, the President of WIBAT, Eunice Ogbugo said the group was born out of the need to empower women in Ghana and across Africa to be more entrepreneurial using tourism business as a catalyst.
According to her, there are many women engaged in different aspects of tourism that need to be promoted. She cited the country’s rich cultural heritage which is being promoted in the arts, clothes, the unique Kente fabrics, beads and others which have become a source of employment for many women. And for her, these are things that make the country’s tourism offering unique, hence the need to support and encourage the women engaged in the business of it.
She mentioned that WIBAT will serve as a support system for both established and upcoming women entrepreneurs to expand their trade through mentorship, partnerships, and mergers amongst others.
“We are looking to women to diversify from one business area to the other. I was in construction, now I’m in tourism. So we don’t just need to be in one business area but we diversify into other business area and also move beyond the borders of Ghana to other African countries and partner with other continents as well. So that’s who we are, what we stand for and what we hope to achieve in Women in Business and Tourism,” the President emphasized.
Also in attendance was the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E. Lulu Xingwana who admonished the group to work together for the good of women. She said there are many examples of such groups in South Africa that WIBAT can learn from. H.E. Xingwana who is also a patron of the group said she is open to rendering any assistance that inures to the benefit of their objective.
The Women in Business and Tourism is an association of women entrepreneurs with the common goal of forging synergies within business and tourism through strategic partnerships, networking, investments and other business undertakings both within and outside of Ghana.
Patrons and Executives of the organization cut across a broad spectrum of women in various fields of endeavour; including, Diplomats, tour operators, traditional queen mothers, public officials, business executives and entrepreneurs and many others.
Membership, according to the group’s president, is open to all women.
By: Samuel Obeng Appah
