Looking at the hall that morning at La Palm Royal Beach
Resort, especially with the good number of travel and tourism
professionals, companies, government representatives, and personalities,
it baffles that the preparation for the successful one-day travel event
only started this April.
From Ghana, the host country, Nigeria, the organizer,
Benin Republic, Togo, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, among others, the
well-attended Accra Weizo, lived up to its core objective of integrating
the West African region for better economic gains.
The airlines, IATA, hotel chains/owners, tour operators,
travel agents, destination managers, travel media among other major
players in travel and tourism in West Africa were on hand to discuss way
forward for the industry in the region.
But before major papers were presented by industry experts
on topical issues, Ikechi Uko, CEO, Akwaaba Travel Market, the
organiser of
Accra Weizo, in his opening remarks noted that the quest
for seamless integration informed the theme the maiden edition of Weizo
which is: “Seamless Travel in West Africa”.
For him, the issue of regional integration championed by
ECOWAS founding fathers has not been given due attention and
corresponding action, hence Accra Weizo, a one-day travel event, pushes
for realization of the West African regional integration goal, starting
with the travel and tourism industry.
“It is unfortunate that ECOWAS still lags behind other
economic blocks in Africa, especially East and Southern Africa where
regional integration is yielding huge socio-economic results. Despite
ECOWAS’ almost 300 million people spread across 15 countries, the region
has not been able to sustain a viable integration. Yet,
with over 40 airports the economy of the region cannot sustain a viable
travel and tourism industry, due to many obstacles to integration and
seamless travel. These lapses are what made Accra Wiezo imperative”, Uko
said.
With that in mind, Olufemi Adefope, head,
HRG/GSA for Delta Airlines in Nigeria, set out with his paper
presentation, which was the first at the event. Tagged ‘Trans-border
Investment in Travel Business’, the aviation expert underlined issues
that negate seamless travel in the region and also preferred solutions.
According to him, top among challenges associated with
doing business across West Africa include; bad road network,
unauthorised check points, unfriendly nature of investment policies,
high taxes and tariffs. Despite the challenges, he noted that there are
lots of business opportunities in the West African sub region, which
also offer more opportunities for growth in the travel, tourism and
aviation sectors, but only when the bottlenecks are removed.
According to him, a recent World Bank report has it that
“Africa has less than 1 percent of the global air service market despite
having more than 12 percent of the world population”. “I see opportunities for growth in this assessment, and this makes Accra Weizo timely”, Adefope said.
Following his country man, Frank Nneji, MD, ABC Transport
Limited, also presented his paper titled ‘Doing Business across West
Africa’.
As the pioneer of road transport across the West African
coast, the ABC boss, represented by Uche Odega, a manager, took the
participants through the challenges of doing business across the region,
especially border bureaucracy that results in delays, language
barriers, extortions among others.
The transporter said that with a population of 340million,
estimated to hit 400million by the year 2020, the region can sustain
regional trade, facilitate tourism and other exchanges and also grow the
economies of member states. He therefore called on countries in the
region to make further efforts at truly integrating the region because
the region will achieve less with the present state of things.
In furthering the seamless travel across the region,
Kwabena Adjei, group chairman, Kasapreko Company Limited, in his paper
tagged: “The role of the private sector in regional integration”, noted
that trade among member countries in the region is key to economic
development, while a flourishing private sector within regional
integration would translate into numerous benefits to member countries,
such as job creation, revenue generation, exchange of knowledge/skill
acquisition, economic stability and growth, and promotion of culture and
tradition ties among member states.
He however warned that before the region enjoys such
benefits, pitfalls such as high tariffs and strict border controls,
local laws that supersede that of ECOWAS, political/economic
instability, language barriers among others issues must be tackled.
After visiting the stands that participated in a mini
exhibition at the event, Professor Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River
State, and chairman of the day, in his speech read on his behalf by
Professor Evara Esu, his deputy governor, said tourism is a major
potential for the development of the sub region and it is important to
come together to have a seamless travel in West Africa for the growth of
the economies.
According to the newly sworn in governor, the time had
come for West Africa to open its borders to be able to attract tourists
from all over the world to help improve the economy, as well as, the
wellbeing of the people.
On her own path, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of
Tourism Culture and Creative Arts, Ghana, said that tourism is a major
factor that could help bring the West African sub region together for
effective development.
Tourism can create a forum, like Accra Weizo for experts
to share ideas to help develop countries and serve as a link to
reinforce the relationships between countries.
She was thankful to the organisers for the timely efforts
that has brought the best in travel and tourism in the region to Accra
and hoped that the gains from the event would be sustained to build the
necessary bridges across the borders for the region to truly have
seamless travel.
Earlier, the presence Florence Ita-Giwa, a senator and
leader of a band in the famous Carnival Calabar, added colour to the
event. She took time to market the carnival to the West African guests
at the event and even extended invitation to them on the coming
carnival.
But the highlight of the event was an interlude and
beautiful performance by a team from Calabar Carnival, whose performance
was a tip on the iceberg for the willing guests. The carnival parade
also flanked the deputy governor while he read the governor’s speech. It
was awesome for the guests most of whom were experiencing the carnival
for the first time.
Another highlight was the awards given to
deserving personalities in the travel and tourism industry across West
Africa. For her efforts at growing Ghana’s tourism receipt, Elizabeth
Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts, Ghana, was
honored with Tourism Person of the Year 2015 Award, Kkwabena Adjei,
group chairman, Kasapreko Company Limited, bagged West African
Personality of the Year 2015 Award, Wanle Akinboboye, CEO, La Campagne
Tropicana, emerged Tourism Man of the Year-Nigeria 2015, while Frank
Nneji, MD, ABC Transport Company, was honoured as Travel Personality of
the Year West Africa 2015.
Of course, the governor of Cross River State was honoured as Chairman of the event.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Wanle Akinboboye,
noted that Accra Weizo is coming at a time every country across West
Africa needs the interdependency and cross pollination to achieve common
goals. He noted that the awards was a boost to the private sector to
take more risks, governments to seat up and truly offer enabling
business environment, dismantle roadblock across the borders and other
obstacles to free movement and trade integration.
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