The Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA) has engaged key tourism stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire as part of a five-day familiarization visit aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation and promoting increased cross-border travel between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
The October 1–5, 2026 visit brought Ghanaian tour operators into direct contact with Ivorian tourism authorities, tour operators and tour guides, providing opportunities to explore partnerships, exchange industry knowledge and identify opportunities for developing travel between the two neighbouring countries.
A major engagement took place on Friday, October 2, when the TOUGHA delegation was received by Malékah Mourad-Condé, Director General of Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme, at the organisation’s offices. The delegation was led by TOUGHA President Yvonne Donkor, with the engagement facilitated by Osmosis Akan Plus, headed by Daniel Kouaho.
Discussions focused on promoting Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism offerings to the Ghanaian market and creating stronger professional links between tourism businesses in both countries. The Ghanaian operators also had the opportunity to gain deeper insights into Ivorian tourism products, accommodation facilities, cultural attractions and other experiences that could be incorporated into packages for Ghanaian travellers.
Ms. Mourad-Condé emphasised that beyond the attractions and infrastructure of a destination, the quality of the visitor experience remains critical to the success of tourism. She underscored the importance of hospitality, understanding travellers’ expectations and responding effectively to complaints and concerns.
She also highlighted the importance of strengthening tourism exchanges within the sub-region, noting that closer professional relationships between Ghanaian and Ivorian tourism businesses could translate into increased movement of travellers between the two countries.
The TOUGHA President expressed appreciation for the warm reception and the opportunity to engage directly with the leadership of Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme. She said the visit had reinforced TOUGHA’s interest in building stronger partnerships with Ivorian tourism stakeholders.
Ms. Donkor also extended an invitation for Côte d’Ivoire Tourisme and Ivorian tourism operators to undertake a reciprocal familiarisation visit to Ghana to experience the country’s tourism offerings and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Engagement with Ivorian tour operators and guides
Also on October 2, the TOUGHA delegation held a separate engagement with Ivorian tour operators and tour guides at the Excell’Sup Institute.
The meeting provided a platform for tourism professionals from both countries to discuss practical ways of developing partnerships and collaborations that can deepen travel between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
The discussions centered on opportunities for tour operators and guides to work together in developing cross-border packages, referrals and joint tourism experiences that encourage travelers to visit both destinations.
Participants also explored ways of leveraging the geographical proximity and cultural connections between the two countries to create more attractive and seamless travel experiences for visitors.
For TOUGHA, the engagements formed an important part of its broader effort to build relationships with tourism professionals across the region and position Ghanaian tour operators to offer their clients a wider range of West African travel experiences.
The familiarisation visit, which concluded on October 5, also gave the Ghanaian delegation an opportunity to experience Côte d’Ivoire’s tourism products firsthand. The knowledge and relationships gained are expected to support the development of new tourism packages and stronger business-to-business links between operators in both markets.
The visit marks another step toward turning the close geographical and cultural ties between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire into stronger tourism connections, with both sides looking to increase cross-border travel, deepen professional collaboration and ultimately create more opportunities for travellers to experience both destinations.
The trip to Côte d’Ivoire marked the first time the Union had organised a familiarisation tour outside Ghana. According to Ms. Donkor, the initiative sets the stage for future outbound familiarisation trips, as TOUGHA seeks to strengthen partnerships across the continent and promote greater intra-African travel.
