A delegation from Ghana on Monday, 15th March 2021, held meetings with the Honorary Consulate of Ghana in Rwanda and the Rwanda Development Board to discuss bilateral opportunities for tourism and economic development. This was part of activities for a week-long familiarization tour organized by the Rwanda high commission to Ghana for stakeholders in the tourism value chain, government agencies and investors from 14 – 21 March, 2021
The discussions centered on collaboration, information sharing and Investments.
Denis Karera, Counsel of Ghana to Rwanda, in his opening remarks emphasized Rwanda’s commitment to attracting investors to boost tourism and increase revenues stating “Rwanda is a liberal economy and one of the easiest places to do business. The consulate is always available to assist Ghanaians who wish to invest in various sectors with the necessary guidance”.
The Rwanda Development Board on the other hand is also dedicated to building synergies between the Ghanaian and Rwandan tourism sectors to increase the rate of intra-Africa travel. Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board said COVID-19 has taught us that intra-africa travel is key to sustaining tourism and is keen on building the linkage with the private sector to grow the numbers for both countries.
Travel from Ghana to Rwanda currently stands at about five thousand passengers annually and has the potential to grow immensely with the availability of daily flights between the countries, no visa requirements for entry and continuous engagements for collaboration.
Director for Product Development and Investment at the Ghana Tourism Authority Benjamin Anane-Nsiah emphasized the need for such partnerships and indicated that “ Ghana is open to working with their Rwandan counterparts to develop a framework to facilitate this partnership and achieve the expected results”.
It was established that both countries have a lot to offer and a shared approach to attracting tourists and investors is critical to the development of tourism in both countries and across the continent.
Participants in the familiarization tour are drawn from the hospitality and travel and tour industry in Ghana, the media, and policymakers who are heads of Ghana government institutions. Among the policymakers on the tour are Dr. Afua Asare, CEO of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, and Benjamin Anane Nsiah, Director for Product Development and Investment at the Ghana Tourism Authority.
