Ghana’s strong showing at WTM Africa in Cape Town has been crowned with industry recognition, as the Ghana Tourism Authority received the Best Stand Personnel award at this year’s event.
The award acknowledges the professionalism, preparedness and engagement of the Ghana Tourism Authority team throughout the exhibition, where the country mounted a coordinated destination marketing and trade engagement campaign aimed at reinforcing Ghana’s leadership position in West African tourism.
Speaking after the announcement, Ekow Sampson, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations at the Ghana Tourism Authority, said the recognition reflects deliberate planning, teamwork and a clear destination narrative.
“We at the Ghana Tourism Authority are proud to have received this year’s Best Stand Personnel award at WTM Africa. We came prepared, we came to set up and then showcase our brand as the leading tourist destination in West Africa,” Sampson said.
“It is an opportunity for us to work hard to maintain that feat and also project our image as the best West African destination,” he added.
A Strategic Presence at Africa’s Leading Travel Trade Show
WTM Africa remains one of the continent’s most important tourism trade platforms, bringing together destinations, tour operators, hospitality brands, buyers and media from across Africa and international markets. Ghana’s participation was designed not only to increase visibility, but also to drive meaningful trade conversations and long-term partnerships.
According to Sampson, the award validates Ghana’s broader strategy of presenting itself as a well-organised, experience-driven destination with strong institutional leadership and private sector collaboration.
The Ghana stand was structured to facilitate business meetings, media engagements and destination storytelling, allowing the team to communicate Ghana’s strengths across leisure tourism, heritage travel, diaspora engagement and business events.
Reinforcing Ghana’s West African Leadership
Sampson noted that Ghana’s message at WTM Africa was consistent and clear — positioning the country as the most accessible, diverse and experience-rich destination in West Africa.
“We are very intentional about how Ghana is presented on global platforms like WTM Africa. Beyond the visuals, it is about the people on the stand — how we engage, how we tell our story and how we convert interest into partnerships,” he said.
He added that such recognition strengthens Ghana’s credibility with international buyers and reinforces confidence in the destination among trade partners.
Beyond the Award: Sustaining Momentum
While welcoming the accolade, Sampson stressed that the focus now shifts to sustaining momentum beyond the trade show.
“Awards are encouraging, but they also come with responsibility. We must continue to raise the bar, improve our offerings and ensure that the experience of Ghana matches the expectations we create on platforms like this,” he said.
Ghana’s tourism growth strategy, he explained, is anchored in year-round programming, strong destination branding and closer collaboration between public institutions and private operators.
A Signal to the Global Travel Trade
The Best Stand Personnel award serves as a signal to the global travel trade that Ghana is not only investing in tourism infrastructure and experiences, but also in human capacity — an increasingly important factor in destination competitiveness.
As WTM Africa continues to play a central role in shaping tourism flows on the continent, Ghana’s recognition in Cape Town reinforces its positioning as a confident, professional and forward-looking destination — determined to consolidate its status as the leading tourism hub in West Africa while expanding its footprint across Africa and beyond.
