The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyemang has stated that Ghana is on track to becoming a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences Events/Exhibition (MICE) hub in West Africa.
Speaking on the State broadcaster’s, GTV Breakfast Show, ahead of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge, he said the country’s ability to host such an event in the midst of an ongoing global crisis was a testament to Ghana’s readiness to be a competitive MICE-destination.
“We are also excited that so many people have registered to be part of this already. We set out to get 500, but we’ve had to do about 1000 people who are registered globally and so it is big deal to us,” he averred.
Agyeman said the importance of the Summit could not be underestimated considering that “the youth are future tourists and so they are the future innovators of the sector.”
“With the new normal that we are in, I think it is important innovation plays a key role and so if you look at the theme innovation, challenge, entrepreneurship all those things come together very well”, he added.
Making a presentation on Destination Ghana on the first day of the event, acting MICE Director of GTA, Ms. Betty Kobi stated that Ghana has facilities for MICE “with highest seating capacity as 800 with COVID protocols in place. And hotels, universities, corporate organisations, events centres have meeting rooms, conference rooms and auditoriums for the use of event organisers”.
“Ghana has hosted international programmes such as UNWTO Regional Congress on Women Empowerment, African Tourism Leadership Forum, African Green Revolution Forum 2019 at the Accra International Conference, and African Insurance Organization Conference” she added.
The three-day Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge assembled significant players of the sector and gave a platform to young individuals to pitch their businesses.
Story by: Emmanuella Asare
