The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has honoured 36 individuals and institutions at the 2024 National Tourism Awards, which was marked by pomp at Christianborg Castle in Osu last Friday.
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Twenty-six competitive awards, eight honorary awards and two special awards were presented to deserving recipients for their contribution to the industry in the past year.
The well-attended event, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, recognised industry players who have shown exceptional commitment and innovation, and contributed to the vibrant resurgence of Ghana’s tourism sector.
The theme was: “Celebrating Innovation and Recognising Excellence in Ghana’s Tourism Sector”. It was a night of celebration, music and dance in the tranquil atmosphere of the Castle Gardens.
Event
The event brought together high-profile dignitaries who included former Minister of Tourism and Senior Presidential Advisor, Florence Oboshie Sai Cofie, who chaired the event, and Group Chairman, Crystal TV Group, Togbe Dr Crystal-Dzirackor, the Guest of Honour.
Also in attendance were the Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, Andrew Egyapa Mercer and his Deputy, Mark Okraku- Mantey; Board members of the GTA, the CEO of GTA, Akwasi Agyeman, and his two deputies, Ekow Sampson and Ben Anane Nsiah, the diplomatic community, heads of institutions, directors and staff of the ministry and its agencies.
There was never a dull moment, as the organisers featured the National Dance Ensemble, the Immigration Band, and highlife music sensation Kwabena Kwabena, who delighted the enthusiastic guests with melodious tunes and traditional Ghanaian dances.
The highlight of the evening was when Kwabena Kwabena drew many guests to the dance floor when he mounted the stage.
Award winners
In the build-up to the national event, the GTA’s regional offices successfully held Regional Tourism Awards across the country last month to celebrate local achievements and lay the foundation for the grand national celebration last Friday.
Winners in the respective categories were presented with a plaque and a citation.
They included the Labadi Beach Hotel as the Overall Best Five-Star Hotel, the Royal Senchi Hotel in the Eastern Region adjudged the Overall Best Four-Star Hotel, with Golden Bean Hotel in the Ashanti Region (3-Star Hotel), Sogakope Beach Resort in the Volta Region (2-Star Hotel), GRNMA Hotel in the Central Region (1-Star Hotel), Brynx Haven- Central Region (Best Guest House), Jonas Lodge-Upper East (Best Budget Apartment), De-Blast Hostel-Tema (Best Hostel) and Veronique Heights-Ashanti Region (Service Apartment) also winning in the Accommodation Category.
Winners in the Food, Beverage and Entertainment Category included MOKA’S Restaurant Greater Accra (Restaurant GRADE 1), The Buka Restaurant- Greater Accra (Restaurant GRADE 2), Conemm Catering Services- Upper East Region (Restaurant GRADE 3) and God is Love- Western Region (Traditional Catering).
The rest were Shoprite Ghana- Western Region (Fast Food Establishment), King David Spot- Northern Region (Drinking Bar), Exhale Lounge – Greater Accra (Night Club/Pub) and Servair Ghana Company Ltd (Offshore / Arline).
In the Travel Trade Category, the winners were Ashanti African Tours – Central Region (Tour Operator), Satguru Travel and Tours- Greater Accra (Travel Agency), Nii Plants Car Rentals- Greater Accra (Car Rentals), Mr Fuseni Nawaru- Eastern Region (Tour Guide) and Justice Brobbey- Ashanti Region (Site Guide).
The rest were Bisa Abrewa Museum- Western Region (Visitor Attraction), SDK DELE- Greater Accra (Digital Tourism Icon), CITI FM/Channel One TV (Tourism Oriented Media) and Eusbett Hotel- Bono (Sustainability Award).
Honorary Awards
The honorary awards were presented to the CEO of Jandel Ltd, Madam Afi Amoro (Long-standing Commitment to Quality Events Service); CEO of Mullen Lowe Ghana, (Mrs Norkor Dua (Long-standing Commitment to Promoting Tourism through Advertising); Chief of Kyeremankoma, Kintampo and Kronko, Nana Effah Guakro IV, (Outstanding Leadership in Tourism Development, and Acting President, National Council of Zongo Chiefs and President of National Council of Wangara Chiefs, Masaaba Sariki Fayinana III, (Traditional Leadership in Tourism Preservation).
The rest were the Executive Director, PANAFEST Secretariat, Rabbi Kohain Nathanyah Helevi (Outstanding Contributions to Diaspora Engagement): CEO, Charter House, Theresa Ayoade, (Outstanding Contribution to Promoting Tourism through Events), Co-founder of Afrofuture, Kennedy Agyapong Jnr (Outstanding Events Visionary) and former Chief Director, Ministry of Tourism, Bridget Katsriku (Woman of Excellence in Public Service).
The two Special Awards were presented to Oboshie Sai Cofie and Dr Crystal-Adjirackor for their contributions to the industry.
Resurgence
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Andrew Egyapa Mercer said his outfit, over the past years, had implemented various initiatives, including the Year of Return and Beyond the Return initiatives, to accelerate growth in the sector and boost the economy.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress made since the COVID-19 pandemic and urged industry players to keep working hard and to “collaborate to promote tourism development and create opportunities for economic growth and job creation.”
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“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in 2023, international arrivals reached 1,148,002, showing a 25 per cent increase from 2022, and a 2 per cent rise above pre-COVID figures. Domestic numbers have also increased from 945,405 in 2022 to 1,407,709 in 2023,” he said.
“As we are all aware, tourism is a vital pillar of our economy, with immense potential to drive job creation, attract investments, generate foreign exchange, and catalyze socio-economic transformation,” he said.
Mr Mercer added that to further boost the economy, his outfit plans to build on the gains by enhancing the engagement with the diaspora market, actively promote Ghana in the sub-region and African markets as well as establish the country as a competitive destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.
Innovation
For his part, Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of GTA, emphasized that innovation is central to Ghana’s progress in the tourism sector and encouraged stakeholders to keep generating innovative ideas and projects to drive further growth.
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“We have seen transformative changes in our tourism infrastructure with new digital platforms enhancing visitor experience and our heritage sites being preserved and showcased in ingenious ways,” he said.
“As we look into the future I encourage everyone in the industry to continue to innovate and collaborate. By working together, we ensure Ghana remains a top destination for tourists from around the world,” he added.
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